Phinder Dulai is a Surrey-based poet and writer whose work explores migration, memory, identity, and the cultural landscapes of the South Asian diaspora in Canada. He is the author of three poetry collections: Ragas from the Periphery (Arsenal Pulp Press, 1995), Basmati Brown (Nightwood Editions, 2000), and dream / arteries (Talonbooks, 2014). His poetry has appeared widely in publications including Canadian Literature, The Capilano Review, Rungh, subTerrain, West Coast Line, and Matrix, and he has given readings across Canada, the United States, and internationally.
Dulai’s early poetry develops what he calls a “submerged poetic,” bringing Punjabi rhythms, cultural memory, and South Asian literary sensibilities into dialogue with the English language and his life in British Columbia. His acclaimed dream / arteries expands this exploration through the history of the Komagata Maru, drawing upon archival records, passenger manifests, and nautical histories to connect the 1914 incident to wider histories of global migration.
Beyond his writing, Dulai has been an editor, arts organizer, and educator. He co-founded the South of Fraser Inter Arts Collective and helped lead the Banff Centre’s groundbreaking 2017 Centering Ourselves: Writing in a Racialized Canada residency for Black, Indigenous, and racialized writers.
This interview was conducted by Tāriq Malik as part of his This Is Lit Life interview series.