Min Hayati

This collection travels through a daughter's childhood memories in Montreal, her mother's homeland of Lebanon, and the dark realities of grief across borders. Min Hayati uncovers the well of sorrow and the depth of love discovered only through loss. Poetry pays homage to the author's maternal lineage, her mixed ethnicity, and the ways in which "mother" transcends all aspects of life.

Min Hayati advocates for a radical change in our approach to grief and the (still) taboo subjects of death, dying, and grief. Poems speak in particular to motherless-daughters around the world. Most importantly, the poet's Arab roots sets her apart as a Canadian poet with a different story.

Rayya Liebich is a Canadian poet of Lebanese and Polish descent. Winner of the Richard Carver Award for Emerging Writers (2019), The Geneva Literary Award (2015), and The Golden Grassroots Chapbook Award (2015), her poetry and prose have also appeared in literary journals internationally. Passionate about writing as a tool for transformation, she teaches creative writing classes to youth, adults, and seniors in beautiful Nelson, BC. Min Hayati is her debut collection of poetry.