Author Information:

Jaspreet Kaur, better known as Behind the Netra for her poetry, is an award-winning spoken word artist and writer from East London. She is also an educator and spent five years teaching History, Sociology and Politics in secondary schools across London. With an academic background in both history and gender studies and a passion for social justice, Jaspreet has been committed to using her writing and spoken word to tackle gender discrimination, mental health stigma, the postcolonial immigrant experience, and taboo issues within the South Asian community. Over the last three years, Jaspreet has performed at a number of events across the arts, corporate, political and charitable space. Key performances include the Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey, Theatre Royal London, Oxford and Cambridge University, London City Hall, the House of Lords, Trafalgar Square and Wembley Stadium. Her TEDx London Talk ‘How Poetry Saved My Life’, to an audience of 1200 people, explored how the power of words gave her the confidence to overcome her own mental health struggles. She has made regular appearances on BBC One Sunday Morning Live and Radio 4 and has featured in Stylist Magazine and The Metro. As well as performing, Behind the Netra also facilitates workshops and motivational talks for all ages and sectors. Jaspreet has been awarded the Asian Women of Achievement Award for her work in Arts and Culture, the ‘We Are The City’ Rising Star Award in Education and was a Finalist for the National Diversity Award for being a Positive Role Model. Jaspreet was also voted one of the Top 10 Inspirational Sikh Women in the UK. Jaspreet is also a Research Fellow at Birkbeck University’s Centre for British Political Life. Brown Girl Like Me is her debut book.