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Past Event 24 Mar 2023

Rupi Kaur World Tour

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Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

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Live Nation and Auckland Arts Festival presents

Auckland Arts Festival

The world-renowned poet will take the stage in Auckland as part of the Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki | Auckland Arts Festival. Performing new unpublished pieces, poems from ‘home body ’ and greatest hits from her iconic books ‘ milk and honey ’ and ‘the sun and her flowers ’, Rupi will reconnect us with each other and most importantly, ourselves.     Through the power of her voice, Rupi Kaur brings a captivating performance to the world stage in an all-new spoken word poetry experience. Audiences are taken on a journey of personal loss and love, growth, mental health, community, friendship, and strength . These universal themes take centre stage as original music scores the show and projections immerse audiences. 

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Explore the auckland arts festival 2023 line-up, auckland town hall | hōro ā-tāone o tāmaki makaurau.

301 - 317 Queen Street, Auckland

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For one night only, be charmed, understood and inspired by the best-selling author and spoken word sensation whose work has captured the hearts of millions worldwide.

Through the power of her voice, Rupi Kaur brings an enthralling performance to the world stage in an all-new spoken word poetry experience. Audiences are taken on a journey of personal loss and love, growth, mental health, community, friendship, and strength. These universal themes take centre stage as original music scores the show and immerses the audience.

Performing new unpublished pieces, poems from home body and greatest hits from her iconic books milk and honey and the sun and her flowers , join Rupi in Tāmaki Makaurau as part of her World Tour, in association with Live Nation, as we reconnect with each other and, most importantly, ourselves.

In Association with

“Rupi Kaur is the Writer of the Decade... Kaur’s achievement as an artist is the extent to which her work embodies... the technology that defines contemporary life: smartphones and the internet.” — The New Republic

“A rockstar in her own right, Kaur has proven once again that the journey of life is beautiful in all its guts and glory, and that dreams come true with effort and self-love.” — Complex Canada

• 24 Fri 24 March 8:00pm

1hr 30min no interval

Great hall, auckland town hall.

301-317 Queen Street, Auckland Central

+64 9 309 2677 aucklandlive.co.nz

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Rupi Kaur: World Tour

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• Date June 1 | 2022
• Event Starts 8:00 PM
• Doors Open 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE SHOW
• Ticket Prices $99, $59, $49, $39
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All ages require a ticket; no children under 2 years.

Masks are required for this event.

Through the power of her voice, Rupi Kaur brings a captivating performance to the world stage in an all-new spoken word poetry experience. Audiences are taken on a journey of personal loss and love, growth, mental health, community, friendship, and strength. These universal themes take center stage as original music scores the show and projections immerse audiences.

Performing new unpublished pieces, poems from ‘home body’ and greatest hits from her iconic books ‘milk and honey’ and ‘the sun and her flowers’ - join Rupi on her World Tour as we reconnect with each other and most importantly, ourselves.

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• rupikaur.com

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Auckland Town Hall - Great Hall , 303 Queen St, Auckland CBD, Auckland

• Fri 24 Mar 2023, 8:00pm–9:30pm

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• Auckland Arts Festival

Auckland Festival Trust

Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki | Auckland Arts Festival in association with Live Nation presents - Rupi Kaur.

For one night only, be charmed, understood and inspired by the best-selling author and spoken word sensation whose work has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. Through the power of her voice, Rupi Kaur brings an enthralling performance to the world stage in an all-new spoken word poetry experience. Audiences are taken on a journey of personal loss and love, growth, mental health, community, friendship, and strength. These universal themes take centre stage as original music scores the show and immerses the audience. Performing new unpublished pieces, poems from home body and greatest hits from her iconic books milk and honey and the sun and her flowers, join Rupi in Tāmaki Makaurau as part of her World Tour, in association with Live Nation, as we reconnect with each other and, most importantly, ourselves.

“Rupi Kaur is the Writer of the Decade... Kaur’s achievement as an artist is the extent to which her work embodies... the technology that defines contemporary life: smartphones and the internet.” — The New Republic

“A rockstar in her own right, Kaur has proven once again that the journey of life is beautiful in all its guts and glory, and that dreams come true with effort and self-love.” — Complex Canada

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The Berkeley Beacon

Rupi Kaur’s world tour is an avalanche of sincerity

Clara Faulkner

By Clara Faulkner , Managing Editor and Living Arts Editor December 7, 2022

Tremont Street was packed with people bearing gowns and glamor for poet and renowned feminist figure Rupi Kaur, who delivered a performance like no other at the Wang Theatre’s Boch Center on Dec. 6.

“Rupi Kaur: World Tour” is a showcase of Kaur’s undiscovered works and a collection of fan-favorite poetry complete with original music and projections. Through words and line drawings crafted with profound feelings, her work investigates love, mental health, trauma, and the development of femininity.

Kaur is well-known for her poetic internet sensation “Milk and Honey.” The book took Instagram by storm after Kaur began posting her free verse poetry on Instagram in 2013. 

Aside from her first self-published poetry release, Kaur has released three books to date titled “The Sun and Her Flowers,” “Home Body,” and “Healing Through Words.” These books have collectively sold more than 11 million copies, and have been translated into over 43 languages.

Kaur writes in lowercase — a personal homage to her native Gurmukhi script. On Tuesday, she read poems from her publications, although most of the show featured unreleased work.

Her books are oriented toward the women’s empowerment movement, and her performance did not fall shy of her ambition to accredit women for their successes. Almost the entire audience was composed of women, whose response to Kaur’s feminist poetry was overwhelming. Her chosen poetry painted a picture of the contemporary woman as a heroine. 

Kaur emphasizes women’s propensity for self-deprecation. 

Her spoken words “I found that there were no roots more intimate than those of a mind and a body that have decided to be full” aptly captured the spirit of her emphasis on the significance of psychological well-being.

Motivated by her experience in therapy, she drew the charming analogy of speed dating to locate a competent therapist.

Her voice both silenced the theater and set it off in raucous laughter. Throughout the course of the performance, Kaur cracked jokes about disastrous dates and bound them to the bedrock of womanhood, helping the audience connect via shared experiences and highlighting Kaur’s focus on the necessity of spoken word.

The mix of spoken word and produced music made me feel as if I were listening to a soundtrack I didn’t want to finish. There was a jubilation in the atmosphere as art and poetry were interwoven. It was an unforgettable performance. Kaur shared with the crowd that she told her team she wanted to bring something distinctive to the audience during her tour, and she delivered.

Kaur’s production was not only compelling because it dealt with universal trauma, but also because she used intimate anecdotes to make the audience feel like they really understood her.

Kaur addressed the male audience members, saying their attendance was testimony that there are decent men on the planet. She then told a related tale of a man she knows in the literary sector who said that childbirth was the most difficult experience of his life, despite the fact that he would not physically experience it. This narrative elicited an avalanche of sincerity and a link to the familiar misogyny women face today.

Kaur proved capable of transforming her performance into a deep dive into the history of patriarchy.

The performer also shared her struggles with dating, attaining unconditional love, and being a cultural advocate in a discriminatory society.

Kaur explained the discrimination she faced entering the literary sector in a recent interview with “ The Times of India.”

“I was a 20-year-old, young, brown, Punjabi Sikh woman from a working-class immigrant family who didn’t grow up with much financial resources,” she said. “So what did I care what the literary community thought of me?”

Kaur draws parallels between her desire to overcome writer’s block and satisfy corporate expectations for additional poetry book releases.

She said in the performance that living out her passion comes at the price of being away from home on tour and missing her friends.

Kaur’s delivery was ardent, and it was evident that she was portraying who she was as a poet and a woman of Punjab through her writings. She rose to prominence as not only both a woman and poet, but also as an advocate for neglected voices.

When revealing her struggle with the anxiety that comes with guilt of achievement as an immigrant, the poems began to spill out of her, extending serenity throughout the audience.

In her work, the poet makes it crystal clear that she aims to integrate social concerns with her writings by raising subjects like the Iranian women’s liberation movement and misogyny in the 21st century.

Kaur explained the importance of seeing portrayals of Indian woman authors like herself flourishing in the U.S – demonstrating how much she intends to weave her own Punjab culture into her poetry.

It was exciting to see a gifted writer like Kaur striving to use her platform to capture the crowd by incorporating it into her show. The performance renewed my interest in spoken word poetry.

Kaur has raised the bar for female poets and writers worldwide by presenting a performance that captivated both minds and hearts while highlighting social issues, rom-com scenarios, and cultural impact.

Clara Faulkner wears multiple hats at the Beacon, serving as both the Business Director and the Living Arts Editor. Prior to assuming these roles, she demonstrated her expertise as an assistant editor, specializing in living arts—a domain she is deeply passionate about, fueled by her love for pop culture and entertainment. Additionally, Clara served as a writer for the Boston Globe, is a part of NBCUniversal Entertainment Group, and contributed...

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Rupi Kaur is a poet, artist, and performer. As a 21-year-old university student Rupi wrote, illustrated, and self-published her first poetry collection, ‘milk and honey’. Next came its artistic sibling, ‘the sun and her flowers’. These collections have sold over 8 million copies and have been translated into over 42 languages. Her most recent book, ‘home body’, debuted #1 on bestsellers lists across the world. In 2021, Rupi executive produced and starred in her debut film, ‘Rupi Kaur Live’, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Rupi's work touches on love, loss, trauma, healing, femininity, and migration. She feels most at home when creating art or performing her poetry on stage.

This event has been relocated to the The Parker in downtown Fort Lauderdale on the same day and time. Current ticket holders will be contacted and relocated to comparable reserved seat locations at The Parker. All previously issued tickets will be replaced in the Ticketmaster Account of the original purchaser with new print-at-home tickets. Mobile ticketing will be unavailable for this event. If you have any questions or need help with your tickets, please login to your account or contact  Ticketmaster Customer Support . For additional assistance, Contact Us at the Broward Center's AutoNation Box Office.

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Rupi Kaur: World Tour

• 8:00 pm - 10:30 pm | Saturday June 04, 2022

AEG Presents

7pm Doors | 8pm Show

Rupi Kaur is a poet, artist, and performer. As a 21-year-old university student Rupi wrote, illustrated, and self-published her first poetry collection, ‘milk and honey’. Next came its artistic sibling, ‘the sun and her flowers’. These collections have sold over 8 million copies and have been translated into over 42 languages. Her most recent book, ‘home body’, debuted #1 on bestsellers lists across the world. In 2021, Rupi executive produced and starred in her debut film, ‘Rupi Kaur Live’, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Rupi’s work touches on love, loss, trauma, healing, femininity, and migration. She feels most at home when creating art or performing her poetry on stage.

Health & Safety

The Show Must Go On, But Safely

All ticket holders are encouraged, but not required, to be fully vaccinated or have a negative Antigen test taken within 24 hours or a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours before entering The Theatre at Ace Hotel.

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The Theatre at Ace Hotel is a cashless venue. Visa, Mastercard + Amex are accepted.

Thanks for staying cool about it. We can’t wait to see you.

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Rupi Kaur Promises to Take Audiences on a 'Deeper Journey' on Her World Tour

Rupi Kaur has announced her upcoming world tour, starting with stops in 41 cities across North America in 2022. Here is how to grab tickets.

Image via Publicist

Brampton’s own  Rupi Kaur has announced her upcoming world tour, starting with stops in 41 cities across North America in 2022. Familiar with the stage, Kaur recently released Rupi Kaur Live , a recording of her 2019 tour, on Amazon Prime. This tour, however, will be her biggest yet. An icon in her own right, Kaur continues to evolve and grow as an artist and performer. Audiences will get the chance to see performances of unpublished pieces along with works from her latest book home body , and classic pieces from her celebrated books milk and honey  and the sun and her flowers . Kaur’s magnetic energy and themes of love, personal loss and growth, migration, heartbreak, mental health, and more will take centre stage. Tickets for the tour will go on sale on Dec. 3 rd at 10 a.m. ET.

“ I’m excited to take my readers on a longer and deeper journey,” Kaur tells us about what she’s most looking forward to bringing to her upcoming performances. “I’m excited just to get out there and see everyone again. I miss that magnetic energy that’s created between performer and the audience.” Her performances are known incorporate universal themes of life, weaved together with original music scores and immersive projections.

While the tour will begin it’s first leg in the U.S. and Canada, Kaur will be connecting with fans globally, making stops in Mexico, the UK, and Europe. She describes performing for her readers as something she’s been yearning for since the pandemic started. ”It’s a feeling that’s so unreal it’s hard to describe. I think I’m going to walk onto stage for that first show and just ball my eyes out cause it’s been so long. I feel so lucky to be connected to such a thoughtful community of readers. They’re beyond sweet, emotionally intelligent, brilliant, and so special.”

View this photo on Instagram

Kaur has spent the last two years creating, growing, and preparing for this big journey ahead. “A tour involves a lot of physical and mental preparation. I’ve been trying to keep myself mentally healthy with consistent exercise, which is the only thing that helps with my anxiety. I’ll be meditating regularly to ground myself. I’m still writing new pieces so I guess I’ll keep doing that until it feels right, and then time to memorize an hour and a half of poetry! From there, it’s all rehearsal rehearsal rehearsal until we hit the road.”

Her audience is her priority, and she hopes to ignite feelings of connectivity and warmth within them. “Like always, I’m a huge advocate of letting people interpret art in whatever feels authentic to them. I do hope that those seeing me perform for the first time are immersed in a world that really redefines what poetry is for them. Above all, I want them to have the best time! I want to laugh together and feel joy together. I want them to leave the show feeling connected and fuller.”

Tickets for Rupi Kaur’s world tour will go on sale this Friday, Dec. 3 rd . More info can be found on her website .

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Joanna Wane

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Canadian poet and New York Times bestselling author Rupi Kaur.

The View from My Window: Nine months into her smash-hit world tour, performance poet Rupi Kaur dials in from Los Angeles to talk about life on the road and her upcoming New Zealand shows.

One of the first things you do when you walk into a hotel room is draw the curtains and take a peek at what it looks like outside. On tour, my resiliency factor is being very much in the present — losing myself in the city I’m lost in. I throw my bags inside my room and I’m off, trying to explore as many neighbourhoods as I can. That’s my ritual.

I deal with heavy topics but don’t think the show is going to be heavy. When I first started performing, a lot of my poetry was about violence and women’s experience with sexual assault. My defence mechanism, the way I comforted myself on stage while being really vulnerable and talking about these things, was to use humour. So we laugh, we cry. But for sure, you’re going to have fun.

When it comes to mental health, I’m honest about my own journey. I’ll tell [the audience] hey, the last time I was in New Zealand, I was really depressed. That’s what my first poem is about. It’s called Depression Doesn’t Knock . It happened to me at a time when I didn’t expect it because my life was changing in such beautiful ways. I’d published milk and honey and I had a new book coming out. Just blessing after blessing. But that was not the experience I was living inside my mind and inside my body. I tried to push that down and ignore it for years.

There were periods when I couldn’t make it out of bed for weeks at a time. I was having suicidal thoughts every single day. Finally, I asked myself, “How long do you think you can make it living like this?” And I gave myself two to three years, because I thought, after that, there’s no way I can handle this anymore. It’s going to win.

When I came to that realisation, I got really afraid, and I was like, hold on, I want to be alive. And I want to feel. That’s the thing about depression; it makes you forget what happiness felt like. You don’t know joy. Everything becomes muted and grey. That’s when I accepted I was depressed and that I needed help.

Like the Type A person I am, I ordered 25 books about depression, found a therapist, and signed up for a meditation course and a bunch of other things. At first, when I was writing poems about depression, I was never going to release them because, oh, my God, I’ll be a laughing stock. People are going to roll their eyes; what do you have to be depressed about? It was actually the conversations happening around mental health during Covid that gave me permission to publish this stuff.

When I found the therapist, in 2019, I told her what had happened in my life and asked if she could point to which of those experiences had made me depressed. She said sometimes it’s not that easy; so much of my life has been in survival mode from the time I was young. Sadly, therapy is inaccessible to many people because of how expensive it is. And in my community, so many of our parents don’t even believe mental health is a thing.

For me, writing and performing poetry has been a tool for healing. During Covid, I was doing Instagram Live writing workshops to feel more connected to the world. In some of these sessions, 10,000 people joined and I discovered that many of them are writers. That planted the seed for my fourth book, Healing Through Words (a collection of guided writing exercises) . I wanted to show them that they too have the words to heal.

It’s become a universal theme of this world tour, no matter what country I’m in, that people have gifted me a copy of their own first book, which they wrote and published because of my story. I’ve been just wowed and speechless because, I kid you not, I’ve been on tour for nine months and have a bookshelf full of them now. It’s this whole beautiful movement I wasn’t even aware of.

Many are self-published, like my first book, and these writers are often the ones who tell me they’ve been able to find their voice, feel more free, and move on from hard things. Because we all know healing is not a linear journey. You don’t just write the book and then that’s it, you’re done. It’s a lifelong practice.

— As told to Joanna Wane

* A sexual assault survivor, Rupi Kaur was born in India and emigrated to Canada with her family as a young child. In 2014, she self-published her first poetry collection, milk and honey while at university, after building a following on Instagram. Her books have now sold more than 11 million copies, and musician Sam Smith has one of the illustrations she drew for her second collection, the sun and her flowers , tattooed on his arm. Kaur is performing at the Wellington Opera House on March 23 and at the Auckland Town Hall on March 24 as part of the Auckland Arts Festival ( aaf.co.nz ).

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About Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur is ready to tackle the uncomfortable — even if it means hecklers

This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current.

Rupi Kaur begins the Canadian leg of her world tour Nov. 20 in Saskatoon. Illustration by Ashley Floréal

Sometimes Rupi Kaur seems like more of a rock star than a poet.

She recently finished the European leg of a world tour (yes, world tour). She has her own Amazon Prime Video special. And her Instagram account boasts 4.5 million followers.

Kaur’s rise has been meteoric. In 2014, at age 21, she wrote, illustrated and self-published her first book of poetry, Milk and Honey . It was followed it with two other collections, The Sun and Her Flowers (2017) and Home Body (2020) published by Simon and Schuster. Collectively, these books have sold more than 11 million copies.

Kaur, 30, writes clearly about love, hurt, trauma, sex and femininity. She is bold and vulnerable in ways that many people are afraid to be, which is perhaps why so many readers, especially women, gravitate to her poetry.

Though she is better known for her short, Instagram-ready poetry – compact verses that she pairs with her own sketched illustrations – Kaur’s longer performance poetry is highlighted on her current world tour. In addition to Europe, Kaur, who recently was a co-host of the Scotiabank Giller Prize gala, has performances scheduled in New Zealand, Australia, the U.S. and Singapore. The Canadian leg of her tour began on Nov. 20 in Saskatoon.

The Globe and Mail spoke with Kaur over a video call while she was in Madrid about stage fright, mental health and what she thinks about hecklers.

I’ve heard you talk about how much you love performing your work. What is it about being onstage that you love so much?

I actually fell in love with poetry because of the stage. That’s where I really started to explore the craft. And 13 years ago is when I started performing, and I was writing poetry exclusively to perform it. I love the stage so much. It was electrifying. It made me feel confident and powerful, and I didn’t feel those ways in my regular day-to-day life. And so I sought out as many opportunities as I could to get onstage. And I think for me, that is a full experience. That is the final act. You know, writing it is one thing and releasing my writing through a book is one thing, but the final act is the performance. And it’s been such a pleasure to now go all over the world and share this new show with people.

When you were first starting to get up on stage to perform your own work, were you ever nervous?

Of course! I maybe only stopped being nervous this year. I used to be so nervous. I switched to wearing just long dresses, because my knees would tremble so much that you could see them shaking when I was wearing pants or when I was wearing anything short. And the worst was when people would be like, “Great job, also, were you nervous up there? Because your knees were trembling.” And I was like, all right, folks, long dresses only.

Poet Rupi Kaur performs at the Rupi Kaur World Tour Secret Show at The Fig House on in Los Angeles on April 12. In addition to her Canadian tour, she has performances scheduled in New Zealand, Australia, the U.S. and Singapore. John Sciulli/Getty Images

Your new book is essentially a series of writing exercises that you’ve curated to help people work through their own experiences. Why did you want to put this book together?

It was a book that I didn’t know I was putting together until it was kind of already done. I was actually creating the writing exercises for me because I feel creatively blocked a lot. And so I use these exercises to help me find inspiration. And throughout the pandemic I was using them to write my third book. But then I started doing these writing workshops, on Instagram Live, and they were going so well. I mean some of these sessions, I’d be on Instagram Live for maybe an hour and a half and 10,000 people would be with me, steady, throughout the hour and a half. It was the first time I realized that, oh my God, so many of my readers are also writers, whether it be something that they just do for self-care or something that they want to pursue as a hobby or professionally. And so I decided to put this book out because I know that so many people across the world feel so seen through my words. But now I think it’s time for them to feel seen through their own words.

What can someone get out of writing down their thoughts, feelings and experiences in this way?

Writing is so cathartic. You know, I think that especially coming from a working-class immigrant family, where things like therapy and other mental-health resources were so out of the question, writing and art and that form of expression was really my therapy. And of course it doesn’t replace regular therapy, but it becomes one of many tools that you can use. And I think that it’s something that can help you process your experiences. It’s a form of self-care, a form of self-love and can really help you work through the difficult challenges of life.

Have you found that people are more open to talking and thinking about mental health and their feelings since the pandemic?

For sure. I mean, In Home Body , my third book, which came out in 2020, there’s an entire chapter on mental health, but I think that if the pandemic hadn’t happened, I don’t know if that chapter would have been in there. I was writing all that poetry before the pandemic, but I was writing it just for me. And I wasn’t ready to admit to the world that, yeah, folks, I, too, am depressed. It just felt like people would laugh, or wouldn’t believe me or they would belittle my pain. And, you know, depression is something that I dealt with very seriously before the pandemic. But I think it was seeing so many people talk about it openly that really inspired me and pushed me to feel like it was okay for me to speak about it. I do have all of these blessings and so many opportunities and I’m so grateful for them every day. But I think what the last few years has taught me is that depression doesn’t care. It can still come into your life and try to take it over.

You also write a lot about women. And we’re at a point in history, I think, where we’re collectively reflecting a bit more on how we treat women. What role do you see your poetry playing at this moment in time?

It makes me just so emotional because I’ve been on this world tour and every other night I’m in a new city, and I get to look into the eyes of so many women, and I see myself in their eyes. All of us can leave the next generation a little better than the last. We have a long way to go. You know, every time I think things are getting better, and they are, I see how much work there is to actually be done. Like last night I had a show in Venice, and it’s so interesting because when men are uncomfortable, they still feel like it’s okay to sit in the crowd and heckle. And I don’t say anything offensive. I know that. But it’s interesting what happens when men feel like they are not at the centre of our narratives, or if a show was not built for them. And if it was three years ago, maybe I would have sat back and been like, oh my God, I need to change what I’m saying and I need to change the poems I’m performing so that everyone in the audience feels comfortable. And as I was up there last night, and some dude screams something up at me, I was like, you know, you [should] be uncomfortable. Be uncomfortable, because [women] have been uncomfortable for our whole lives, you know? It’s not enough for men to support us and cheer us on. We need them to be a part of the conversation and a part of the action if we’re all going to move forward together. And sometimes that involves being uncomfortable.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Kimmel Campus Presents in association with AEG Presents

Rupi kaur: world tour, dec 08, 2022.

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Through the power of her voice, Rupi Kaur brings a captivating performance to the world stage in an all-new spoken word poetry experience. Audiences are taken on a journey of personal loss and love, growth, mental health, community, friendship, and strength. These universal themes take center stage as original music scores the show and projections immerse audiences.

Performing new unpublished pieces, poems from ‘home body’ and greatest hits from her iconic books ‘milk and honey’ and ‘the sun and her flowers’ - join Rupi on her World Tour as we reconnect with each other and most importantly, ourselves.

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○ An exclusive invite to an intimate after-show Meet & Greet with Rupi Kaur

○ Bring your book to be signed by Rupi Kaur

○ Photo opportunity with Rupi Kaur (+ signed polaroid picture!)

○ One Rupi Kaur VIP laminate & matching Lanyard

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milk and honey 10th anniversary collector's edition

A 10th anniversary collector's edition of the bestselling poetry collection milk and honey. This edition includes a new cover, an exclusive new chapter of poetry, a new introduction, heartfelt annotations from Rupi, and so much more!

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'milk and honey' 2024 Agenda

Rupi Kaur shares her milk and honey 2024 Agenda which was inspired by her first book. This 12-month planner comes with space for you to document your dreams for the year, organize your months and weeks, create a vision board with stickers and washi tape, reflect on the year, and so much more.

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Rupi Kaur to Publish 10th Anniversary Edition of milk and honey : ‘Incredibly Fulfilling Journey’ (Exclusive)

Kaur’s poetry collection, published when she was just 21, became one of the highest-selling poetry books of the 21st century

Baljit Singh, Cover design by Leah Meddaoui with assistance from Jessica Huang and Mahsa Sajadi

It’s been 10 years since Rupi Kaur self-published her breakthrough poetry collection milk and honey , and the writer still has more to share. Kaur is celebrating the anniversary of her collection’s initial publication with a new edition of the beloved book. PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover of the 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition of milk and honey , which will be published by Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP) this fall. Kaur wrote and self-published milk and honey in 2014 when she was just 21 years old. The book incorporated her sparse, profound prose and minimalist line illustrations and sold over 6 million copies worldwide, making it one of the highest-selling poetry books of the 21st century.

“I wanted to put this 10-year anniversary collector’s edition of milk and honey together as a thank you to my readers,” the author says in a statement. “It symbolizes the unexpected success from self-publishing as a college student a decade ago, to the incredibly fulfilling journey I’ve been on with my readers ever since.”

“I’m excited to share a brand-new chapter of poetry with this edition, and hope milk and hone y will continue to impact readers new and old, as it has for me,” she continues. The commemorative edition of milk and honey blends the old with the new, including an additional chapter of poetry and illustrations, as well as a fresh introduction by Kaur. It also features a collage of behind-the-scenes photos detailing milk and honey ’s decade-long journey and handwritten diary entries and annotations by Kaur.

Cover design by Leah Meddaoui with assistance from Jessica Huang and Mahsa Sajadi

Kaur’s success didn’t end with milk and honey . She published the poetry collections the sun and her flowers in 2017 and home body in 2020, as well as the poetry exercise book Healing Through Words in 2022. Kaur also performed works from her collections during a sold-out world tour, which was filmed for her Amazon Prime special Rupi Kaur Live .

“ This exceptional new edition is a celebration of the trajectory of the book that transformed the poetry category and has impacted so many,” says Kirsty Melville, AMP President and CEO of Andrews McMeel Universal. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to present it to readers who treasure the original milk and honey as well as to the many new readers who will eagerly anticipate its publication.” Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  The special edition is forthcoming from Andrews McMeel Publishing on Oct. 1 and is now available for preorder .

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