Mississauga's Youth Poet Laureate cites UTM English & Drama Spoken Word Poetry Course as Inspiration
Spoken word became an outlet to explore social justice issues and reach people who might not otherwise engage with them. “The way people talked about how my performance resonated with them told me that this was an art form that I could make an impact with,” says Rajwani.
She hopes to build on that impact and create space for other underrepresented voices in her new role as Mississauga’s youth poet laureate, after being selected by the city to serve as a literary ambassador for young people.
Aside from a few performances at UTM, Rajwani has kept her academics and her art mostly separate. But she says her studies have deepened her understanding of the human experiences she explores in her writing. “The same thing that drives my interest in psychology drives my interest in poetry — understanding, helping and building relationships with people.”
As youth poet laureate, she hopes to get fellow students excited about poetry. She points to her predecessor’s visit to UTM’s first spoken word course as an example of the kind of engagement she’d love to build on.
