Dr. Kanika Verma – Chamkeeli

Dr. Kanika Verma – Actor 

Dr. Kanika Verma is a Lecturer in Writing Studies at the University of Toronto Mississauga with over 15 years of teaching and research experience in Writing Studies, English as a Second Language (ESL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP), active learning, and higher education. She has received 15 awards and several other recognitions for her research, teaching, and service. She has presented her award-winning research studies at more than 45 professional conferences. Dr. Verma has authored five peer-reviewed journal articles, three peer-reviewed book chapters, and one peer-reviewed e-book. 

Dr. Verma also actively pursues creative writing and performing arts. More than 40 of her Hindi poems have been published in several literary magazines. She published her first English poetry book entitled “Just a Breath Away” in May 2018. It is available on Amazon 

(http://www.amazon.com/dp/0692127763) and is catalogued in Brampton Library, Canada. She has performed her poetry live on diverse platforms. She received Story Mirror’s “Author of the Week” award in April 2020 for her Hindi poetry. She was also a featured poet for the Brampton Poetry Project 2026, (Brampton Arts Organization), wherein her Hindi poem “काँच की पत्तियाँ” (“Glass Leaves”) was featured across Brampton’s public spaces—including transit stations and buses, recreation centres, and the Garden Square digital screen in downtown Brampton. Her impetus for writing comes from her passion for life and observing, understanding, and surviving human relationships. Dr. Verma has also been acting in music videos and theatre for more than 4 years.