What happens when we try to do away with nuances and differences altogether — and in doing so erase the cultures made richer by them? 

Featured in this episode: 

• Amritpal Singh Arora is a writer of poetry. He is a family physician in Burnaby, British Columbia. His poetry is centered around themes of medicine, grief, domestic violence, and navigating the world as a racialized person. His creative work has previously appeared in This Magazine, Train: a poetry journal, The Canadian Medical Association Journal, Canadian Family Physician, and Living Hyphen.

• Christopher Tse (@tselikec @chris_tse) is a facilitator, writer, and poet based in Whitehorse, Yukon. He placed second at both the 2011 Poetry Slam World Cup and 2016 Rio International Poetry Slam, and continues to miss the top of the podium in most areas of his life. Christopher is passionate about interrogating the intersections of identity and power through storytelling and art, particularly the role of art in historical and contemporary resistance movements. He has a dog.

• Cobra Collins (@kingofthesnakes) is a Mohkínstsis based mixed Indigenous and settler poet of significant height. She has represented our city on a national level at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and was humbled to sit as Indigenous advocate on the Writers’ Union of Canada’s (TWUC) National Council in 2021 and 2022. Her debut short film “Hop Along Hang On” has been featured nationwide and internationally in numerous film festivals and has won several awards, including Best short film, Black Hills film festival. Cobra was also honoured to be shortlisted as a nominee for Calgary's 2016 & 2018 poet laureate.

• Thamer Linklater (@Rustic.lyricist) is Rocky Cree from Nothern Manitoba. They are an activist, poet, and researcher currently residing in Peterborough Ontario. They love exploring how stories and narratives shape people, places, movements, and countries. 

• Taha Tabish (@taabaii) is a Pakistani-Canadian immigrant settler. He currently lives and works in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang (Montreal) with his partner, toddler, and goldendoodle.

Living Hyphen⁠⁠ is a community seeking to turn up the volume on the voices of hyphenated Canadians. You can purchase our magazine at ⁠⁠www.livinghyphen.ca⁠⁠, support us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠, or find us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠.