Featured

Zehra Naqvi – Surrey Muse

Zehra Naqvi is the author of The Knot of My Tongue (McClelland & Stewart) and a recipient of the Bronwen Wallace Award for Poetry, awarded by the Writers’ Trust. Her work has been commissioned by Amnesty International and UNHCR, and has been featured on CBC Radio. She holds degrees in Migration Studies and Social Anthropology from Oxford University, where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. She was born in Karachi and grew up on Coast Salish Territories.

Visit Zehra’s Website
zehranaqvi.org
Read ‘The Knot of My Tongue’
The Knot of My Tongue

At the August 22, 2026, gathering of Surrey Muse, Zehra will be the Featured Poet. More about the event is here: august-22-2026

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Support other SMAS Projects
Surrey Muse Art & Literature Awards
Surrey Muse At Large (SMAL)
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Women Who Named the Unnamed

Contact
surrey.muse@gmail.com

Surrey Muse gatherings take place
on the unceded Coast Salish territories of
the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen,
Qayqayt, Tsawwassen, Musqueam,
Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

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Ashu Kalsi – Surrey Muse

Ashu Kalsi is an author who works as a clinical counsellor with a non-profit in Surrey and teaches at SFU.  He has an engineering degree but chose to leave a promising career in the US software industry to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy. From a young age, he felt a strong calling to explore the root causes of human suffering and current global issues. Not aligned with any ideological group, he views himself as a lifelong learner. His diverse educational background has prevented him from narrowing his focus; instead, his passion for inquiry has led him toward an ‘open field’ that extends beyond most mainstream thought systems.

Ashu Kalsi has recently published a book The Root of Human Problems: Freedom from Personal, Social and Global Crises. This book is an exploration of the underlying causes of human suffering and conflict, presented through a holistic, non-ideological lens. He invites readers to look beyond conventional frameworks and examine the roots of psychological pain, relational struggles, social division, and global crises. Drawing on his background in philosophy, counselling, and lived inquiry, he explores the possibility of immediate freedom from psychological suffering and the potential for profound personal and collective transformation. The book speaks to timely themes such as healing trauma, the human search for meaning, and the possibility of living with greater peace, clarity, and harmony in today’s complex world.

View Ashu’s Instructor Profile
Ashu Kalsi

Buy his book here: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FH7V87BB

Contact: ashutosh_kalsi@yahoo.com

At the August 22, 2026, gathering of Surrey Muse, Ashu will be the Featured Author. More about the event is here: august-22-2026

‘LIKE’ us on FB
facebook.com/pages/Surrey-Muse
FOLLOW on Twitter
@SurreyMuse
FOLLOW on Instagram
surreymuse.arts

Support other SMAS Projects
Surrey Muse Art & Literature Awards
Surrey Muse At Large (SMAL)
Surrey Muse Writers
Women Who Named the Unnamed

Contact
surrey.muse@gmail.com

Surrey Muse gatherings take place
on the unceded Coast Salish territories of
the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen,
Qayqayt, Tsawwassen, Musqueam,
Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

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Surrey Muse Gathering – Saturday, August 22 / 2026

154th Gathering

Featured Artists

Author Ashu Kalsi
Poet Zehra Naqvi
Weaver Maddy Andrews
Emerging Poet Minab Yetbarek
Featured Art by Mariam Zohra D
Host Mariam Zohra D

Saturday, August 22, 2026
1:00 – 4:00 PM (PT)
Room 405, City Centre branch, Surrey Libraries
10350 University Drive, Surrey, BC V3T 4B8

Open Mic submissions
Arrive 5 minutes before the event and sign up
Submission guidelines

Free & Wheelchair Accessible
Masks Recommended
Donations welcome

Updates will be posted here
Program
Videos will be posted here
youtube.com/@surreymuse

More about the gatherings
Gatherings

‘LIKE’ us on FB
facebook.com/pages/Surrey-Muse
FOLLOW on Twitter
@SurreyMuse
FOLLOW on Instagram
surreymuse.arts

Support other SMAS Projects
Surrey Muse Art & Literature Awards
Surrey Muse At Large (SMAL)
Surrey Muse Writers
Women Who Named the Unnamed

Contact
surrey.muse@gmail.com

Surrey Muse gatherings take place
on the unceded Coast Salish territories of
the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen,
Qayqayt, Tsawwassen, Musqueam,
Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations

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Gabar Choli – Surrey Muse

Vancouver-based filmmaker and screenwriter Gabar Choli is an award-winning creative professional. A native of occupied Kurdistan, he has cultivated a notable career in Canada through the creation of nine socially driven short films. His recent professional focus has centred on literature, culminating in the authorship of Rastînameya Padişahiya Kurdistanê, Alien #240433911, and Cyborgs in the Kingdom of God, as well as the translation of the Quran into the Kurdish language.

Find Gabar on Linkt.ee
@Gabarcholi
View Gabar on IMDb
Gabar Choli

At the July 25, 2026, gathering of Surrey Muse, Gabar will be the Emerging Artist. More about the event is here: july-25-2026

‘LIKE’ us on FB
facebook.com/pages/Surrey-Muse
FOLLOW on Twitter
@SurreyMuse
FOLLOW on Instagram
surreymuse.arts

Support other SMAS Projects
Surrey Muse Art & Literature Awards
Surrey Muse At Large (SMAL)
Surrey Muse Writers
Women Who Named the Unnamed

Contact
surrey.muse@gmail.com

Surrey Muse gatherings take place
on the unceded Coast Salish territories of
the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen,
Qayqayt, Tsawwassen, Musqueam,
Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

.

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Natasha Receno – Surrey Muse

Natasha Receno is a multi-disciplinary artist who studied Creative Writing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She was twice crowned Vancouver Poetry Slam Champion and led Vancouver’s team at the National Poetry Slam in Oakland and at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Victoria. She was ranked the highest Canadian poet at the Women of the World Poetry Slam in New York, and placed 3rd at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. Her work has been showcased at the SFU Launch Festival, Vancouver FRINGE Festival, Richmond World Festival, East Side Pride, and Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre, and was featured on CBC News. Her favourite sport is devouring books in coffee shops, and her work seeks to explore the dichotomy of love and grief.

Follow Natasha on Instagram
@tashareceno

At the July 25, 2026, gathering of Surrey Muse, Natasha will be the Featured Poet. More about the event is here: july-25-2026

‘LIKE’ us on FB
facebook.com/pages/Surrey-Muse
FOLLOW on Twitter
@SurreyMuse
FOLLOW on Instagram
surreymuse.arts

Support other SMAS Projects
Surrey Muse Art & Literature Awards
Surrey Muse At Large (SMAL)
Surrey Muse Writers
Women Who Named the Unnamed

Contact
surrey.muse@gmail.com

Surrey Muse gatherings take place
on the unceded Coast Salish territories of
the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen,
Qayqayt, Tsawwassen, Musqueam,
Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

.

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