Meet Katherine Singh, R29 Canada’s Newest Team Member

Remember those super-fun, non-embarrassing, totally-not-panic-inducing icebreaker games you had to do at the start of every new school year? They’re kind of the worst... But they’re also a great way to get to know someone new.  

Here at Refinery29 Canada, that new someone is Staff Writer Katherine Singh (a.k.a @katherineesingh). Katherine is a former Vancouverite, a huge fan of pop culture (you can find her playing Justin Bieber’s latest album on repeat, coveting Stormi Webster’s street style, and keeping up with the latest Gen Z TikTok drama), and always reads the last page of a book first. (Katherine!!!) She loves writing about Canada’s second-gen community (as someone who can identify as second generation herself) and entertainment through a critical lens. We asked Katherine a few not-so-embarrassing icebreakers to introduce herself to you.  

On Katherine’s nightstand: I’m someone who always has about three books on the go at once. (This isn’t a brag, because it takes me forever to finish them!) I’m currently reading Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi — a memoir about an American chef and his upbringing in New York and Nigeria — and Fariha Róisín’s Like a Bird, a novel about the legacy of trauma and healing. (Would recommend both!)

Her open tabs: Being West Indian (my dad’s Guyanese and my mom has English and Scottish heritage), I’m partial to anything published under Refinery29 Canada’s Second Gen series, which is about life as a second-generation person. It’s content I didn’t know I needed. I especially love Sadiya Ansari’s essay “This Is The Super Power Of The Second Generation,” about the ways in which navigating two cultures instils empathy. Also, anything by R29’s Unbothered Senior Editor Kathleen Newman-Bremang.

Her dream celebrity interview: First and foremost: Beyoncé. (Obviously.) But as someone who is a simultaneous Drake critic and apologist, I’d love to sit down with the Degrassi alum for a frank discussion on his image, his persona, his relationship with Rihanna and whether or not his house is as sad in real life as it appears in photos. 

How she got through 2020: I was lucky enough to be able to use the time just before and during the pandemic to take up some new hobbies, including pottery and horseback riding. I ran a half-marathon on my own (the one I was training for was cancelled due to the pandemic) and watched everything in my Netflix cue. I also got curtain bangs, which are a full-time job to upkeep. 

What she’s bingeing now: I’m currently on my fourth (yes, fourth!) watch of Netflix’s divisive Bridgerton. And it’s 100% for the plot (and has absolutely nothing to do with Regé-Jean Page as the Duke of Hastings). I’m also streaming Dickinson, a contemporary re-telling of poet Emily Dickinson’s life, on Apple TV+. 

Canadian shops she loves: OhSevenDays (an online brand with dresses that look like something you’d find at Reformation, but are made from upcycled and surplus fabrics), Merge Tofino (a Tofino-based shop with simple handmade cups and mugs that remind me of B.C.), and Luna Nectar (I just discovered this beauty brand’s organic serum and am obsessed). 

The item that's getting her through (yet another) lockdown: Like many people who aren’t essential workers, I spent much of my 2020 at home and in sweatsuits. Considering I started the year with zero sweatpants and sweatsuits to my name and now have eight matching sets, it’s safe to say that I’m addicted. (Shout-out to Canadian brand Kotn!) 

What she hopes to cover at R29: I’m so thrilled to be a part of the Refinery29 Canada team and am looking forward to contributing to their great reporting. I’m excited to contribute to the Second Gen series, especially stories about money, sex, and relationships. Speaking of money, I can’t wait to explore the relationship young women have with their  finances, as well as entertainment coverage. (Soon you’ll all understand just how deeply my love for Cole Sprouse runs.)