How to Become a Writer: Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa
And To Whom It May Concern: Complaint Letters Live! Monthly at The Rechabite
This interview series is based on an early short-story by Lorrie Moore called ‘How to Become a Writer’, a wry account of all the seemingly random events, choices and missteps that led a young woman to dedicate herself to a life of putting words on paper. This is a subject I’m fascinated by. Whenever I talk to authors, read their interviews or hear them speak, I’m struck by the enormous variety of routes there are to the same end-point.
There are those who come to writing through study, others are self-taught; some begin early while others are ‘late-bloomers’; some are lucky enough to find mentors, others go it alone; some begin as teachers, editors or in other word-related professions, others come from lives as accountants or sheep shearers. I take tremendous comfort in knowing there’s more than one way to pack a sack; that just because you haven’t done certain things (like gone to university), doesn’t mean you can’t become a writer; we must each find our own path to the writing life. On the eve of the publication of her first book, writer and performer Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa shares her path.
About Sukhjit
Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa OAM is a writer, performer, producer and cultural leader based in Boorloo (perth). Her passion for storytelling began with slam poetry, when she was a finalist in the Australian Poetry Slam (2014), semi-finalist on Australia’s Got Talent (2016) and winner of The Moth GrandSLAM (2019). Sukhjit premiered her sell-out theatre show ‘Fully Sikh’ with Barking Gecko Theatre Company and Black Swan Theatre Company (2019). Since then, she has been developing her comedy series ‘What Would Suki Do?’ with support from ABC TV and is currently producing ‘A Hairy Tale’, a documentary exploring female body hair.
Sukhjit and her partner, Perun Bonser, were selected to develop their rom-com series ‘One of the Good Ones’ at Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s talent lab, Impact Australia (2020). They premiered their video installation work ‘Between Breaths’ at Goolugatup Heathcote Art Gallery (2022) and the work toured in 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art’s exhibition ‘Bush Diwan’ (2022-23). Sukhjit was a story-telling trainer at the Centre for Stories (2018-23) and her debut hip-hop single ‘Collectables’ is now streaming on global music platforms. Sukhjit was selected to participate in a Broadway producing program with Theatre Producers of Colour in New York (2023) and her debut book Fully Sikh: hot chips and turmeric stains (Upswell Publishing) is available now. Sukhjit is the Executive Director of The Blue Room Theatre and has been selected to be in Creative Australia’s 2024-25 Creative Leadership cohort.
What are your early memories of books and reading?
I read soooooo much as a kid, I used to win Angus & Robertson gift vouchers from the Summer Reading Challenge. I spent school holidays at Bullcreek Library. Our book collection at home was MASSIVE. The only room that didn't have a bookshelf was the toilet. I still don't get why that's a thing? Poo hands on your books?! No thanks. I was read to by my primary school teachers and my favourite memory is Mr Wheatley reading Louis Sachar books to us in Yr 6. He also introduced me to Norah Jones! Random combo.
What were your early experiences of writing?
I started writing plays at 4 years old! I wrote cringy poetry in both primary and high school. And my favourite subject was Literature. I loved writing stories. I recently found some weird files on an old harddrive that involved me typing my first stories and using Paint to draw an accompanying image. Take that Rupi Kaur, you weren't the first to come up with that concept! This would have been when we got to have computer time in primary school once a week and print out an anecdote from the weekend.
Was there someone particular who encouraged you along the way?
My teachers Michael Wheatley, Isobel Lacy, Marisa Lovatt - my heroes.
Did you do any formal study towards writing?
I did some creative writing units during my Political Science and International Relations degree. But they were a bit discouraging, I didn't enjoy the vibes of UWA and the entitlement.
When did you have your first ’success’ as a writer?
After I was a semifinalist on Australia's Got Talent [with a slam poem], a teacher contacted me asking if they could use my poem in their Yr 9 curriculum. That was a nice feeling. And I guess fast forward to today, my very own book has been published - so that's a milestone I'll never forget!
To Whom It May Concern: Complaint Letters Live!
After a sell-out season at Fringe Festival, I am absolutely thrilled that To Whom It May Concern: Complaint Letters Live! will now be a monthly event at The Rechabite, Northbridge. The first event is on Thursday, March 20th. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay updated!
Other things that have intrigued or entertained me lately
Book | The Mercy of Gods by James SA Corey | A fantastic space opera, imaginative and really well written.
TV | Silo | I have finally finished hate-watching this dire adaptation of High Howey’s fantastic books, and continue to be baffled and outraged by all the rave reviews. It’s mostly boring with moments of irritating melodrama; one of the worst adaptations of all time!
Book | Briefly Very Beautiful by Roz Dineen | An all-too-real slow-apocalypse story which I loved.
Op-Ed | Why Sex-Positive Feminism is Falling Out of Fashion Fascinating piece about how sex-positivity was somehow turned into yet another tool of oppression via the patriarchy. It’s behind a paywall but I managed to read it on my phone; I’m not sure how!
Op-Ed | The Female Price of Male Pleasure | What is ‘bad sex’ and why is it different for men and women?
I would love to hear from you! Any little thought that pops into your head would be so welcome in my inbox.
Terrific that you've now got monthly installments of "Complaint Letters Live," Annabel. :) And next month only, I won't have to schlep halfway across the continent to get to it...
I love Sukhjit and her work at TBRT. Also love your observations “Whenever I talk to authors, read their interviews or hear them speak, I’m struck by the enormous variety of routes there are to the same end-point…... I take tremendous comfort in knowing there’s more than one way to pack a sack; that just because you haven’t done certain things”
Same ❤️