Rupi Kaur is a Punjabi-Canadian writer and performer whose work centers on themes of womanhood, abuse, love, and loss. She self-published her first collection, milk and honey, in 2014, and just two years later it became a New York Times-bestselling book. The short poems and hand-drawn designs have been praised for their accessibility and relatability to a massive readership.
milk and honey is composed of four sections written in free verse: "the hurting," "the loving," "the breaking," and "the healing." The poems vary in subject matter ranging from sexual abuse to first love to the celebration of self. Kaur writes in the very short and simple manner that defines the contemporary Instagram poem (poetry tailored to be shared and consumed on social media). She is among the most popular Instagram poets, and has been credited with helping to popularize poetry as a whole and increasing sales of poetry books around the world.
The collection milk and honey was critically acclaimed and sold millions of copies. Rupi Kaur herself has become a vehement voice in real life and on social media as an advocate for women, particularly women of color.
