Meet KPU: Nina Mosall
Mosall published her debut poetry collection earlier this year
Nina Mosall is a poet and a KPU alumna. (Submitted)
Editor’s Note: The article has been updated for accuracy. The Runner regrets the error.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University alumna and poet, Nina Mosall, published her debut collection of poetry, Bebakhshid, in June, which she wrote during her time at university. The poetry collection dives into the topics of immigration, refugees, relationships, and belonging.
With Bebakhshid, Mosall hopes to be a voice of immigrants and people of colour.
Currently working as a librarian in Victoria, Mosall plans to write and publish more books in the future. Some of Mosall’s past work has been published in pulp MAG, KPU’s creative writing and visual arts magazine.
On Sept. 19, Mosall joined creative writing instructors Jen Currin and Renée Sarojini Saklikar for a book reading at KPU.
“I was among two greats in my eyes, and I got to be in the middle with them. It was good to be back at KPU,” Mosall says.
When did you join the KPU community and why?
I joined in 2012 right after I graduated high school. I was 18, and the reasons I joined were both good and bad. The bad reason is I didn’t get into the primary school that I wanted to go to initially, but I did get into KPU, my second choice. The other reason that was good was my sister is a KPU alumna too. She’s 10 years older than me, so she had gone there a long time ago. I think when she went, it wasn’t a full university yet, it was a university-college. She told me how she had a really good experience there, and she enjoyed it because you felt like you were getting a bit more attention and care from your professors. Transitioning from high school to university can be overwhelming, and so when some of the other local universities have these huge classes with 100 students or more, that can also be a lot. So, she thought that KPU’s small class sizes would suit me well, and that is how I initially came into KPU.
What is your favourite story of your time at KPU?
I had a lot of fun being a part of the Creative Writing Guild. I started when I was 18 or 19. I don’t know if I was there until the very end of my degree, but I was definitely a part of it for a while. It was nice to be among other creative writing majors. I ended up meeting a lot of people that I connected with. Through that, I got to be involved in stuff and attend, perform, and help with things like the “Poetry Slam.” I don’t know if it’s called that now, but they still do it at Grassroots Cafe. They have readings or slam poetry. Those times were really enjoyable for me because I felt very connected to the community. I also felt very inspired because I was around other writers and I got to hear their pieces and talk about writing.
What is something you’d like to say to people new to KPU?
Be curious and don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially from the people that are there to help you and want to guide you to succeed in whatever you are doing or want to achieve. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, ask questions everywhere, and just be curious about things that you’re interested in and things you don’t know about, but maybe you want to try. If you are able to, try to forge some kind of community, whether that’s among your classmates or joining a group. Nowadays, thinking about international students, I can imagine it can be really hard to integrate yourself into the community and feel like you belong. That’s a challenge for anyone, but especially international students. It’s a big shift moving from another place to here. If you’re able to and if you can, do your best to form some kind of community that can make you feel accepted and also encourage you to be yourself and learn.
What are you working on or doing right now?
I am working on a few little projects. I don’t feel any of them are ready to the extent I would like it to be. I’ve been writing a lot of haikus (a Japanese poem with seventeen syllables). I’ve thought of having a collection once I’ve finished a bunch. I’ve also been working on a poetry book for children because I don’t see as many poetry books for kids as I would like to. Some of my favourite things as a kid were poetry for children, like books by Shel Silverstein, which were funny, but they were good. I’m also working on another possible collection talking about our natural environment and the state of our environment in relation to immigration and the Indigenous People that are in communities here, which I’m still exploring. So I am working on a bunch of things. Who knows if any of them will come to fruition, but I’m trying my best.
What is something you’d like people to know about you?
I’m always curious and I always have an open mind. I’m always ready to learn something new or be shown something that maybe I had previously thought was another way. I love being proven wrong or right or just being shown a whole new perspective on things. I’m a big learner and that’s what I love to do and I hope I can always learn for the rest of my life.
I had a great experience at KPU. It was definitely a time that shaped me. I think it really did impact my work in terms of my writing and just my sense of discipline. I hope if people are able to, they can try to be present and immerse themselves when they’re in a learning environment. I hope they’re able to experience KPU the way I experienced it or even better.
