Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty

Let’s get one thing straight: Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty: Affirmations for the Real World is not a book of advice. You’re not going to find a step-by-step guide to meditation here, or even reminders to drink lots of water and get enough sleep. Those things are all good for you, but that’s not what Hana Shafi wants to talk about.

Instead, Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty—built around art from Shafi’s popular online affirmation series—focuses on our common and never-ending journey of self-discovery. It explores the ways in which the world can all too often wear us down, and reminds us to remember our worth, even when it’s hard to do so. Drawing on her experience as a millennial woman of colour, and writing with humour and a healthy dose of irreverence, Shafi delves into body politics and pop culture, racism and feminism, friendship, and allyship. Through it all, she remains positive without being saccharine, and hopeful without being naive.

So no, this is not an advice book: it’s a call to action, one that asks us to remember that we are valid as we are—flaws and all—and to not let the bastards grind us down.

AUTHOR

Hana Shafi

HANA SHAFI is a writer and illustrator (Frizz Kid). Her work frequently explores themes of feminism, body politics, racism, and pop culture. She’s published articles in publications such as The Walrus, Hazlitt, This Magazine, and more. She received the Women Who Inspire Award from the Canadian Council for Muslim Women in 2017. She is the author of People You Know, Places You’ve Been; Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty: Affirmations for the Real World; and It Begins With The Body, which was selected by CBC Books as one of the best poetry titles of 2018. Hana and her family immigrated to Mississauga from Dubai in 1996. She now lives in Toronto with her two cute, but sometimes annoying, cats.

Reviews

“Small, Broke and Kind of Dirty: Affirmations for the Real World exposes the notion that multiple truths can exist simultaneously as a reflection of our multifaceted humanity. Shafi’s loving affirmations alongside her storytelling and visual art make for the perfect rainy day read with a cup of chai.” —Hamilton Review of Books

“Although Shafi says that “this is not a self-help book,” her work nonetheless guides the reader through an important journey of self-discovery, self-love and resilience. Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty draws the reader into a community of care and kindness, a community that is much needed at this juncture.” —Herizons

“The book reads like a millenial manifesto on how to understand, navigate and be in the world—and I felt right at home.” —Geist Magazine

“I can’t say enough about Hana Shafi’s latest book, Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty. It is a treasure of a book; the balm for a tumultuous year.” —The Miramichi Reader

“This book is compelling because it seeks to provide readers with a little bit of joy while acknowledging that the world is still real and often hard to deal with. Shafi never focuses these affirmations on toxic positivity, instead choosing to root them in resilience. Reading this book is like trying to make sense of your place in the world through a conversation with a very supportive friend.” —The Peak

“Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty is paramount in value. Narratives like Shafi’s are ones I wished I had at a younger age, but am ever grateful for now… This is why the stories of marginalized voices hold the utmost importance. Not only does the author deserve to take up space but also the impact it has on other marginalized people reading these narratives is monumental. Thank you, Hana Shafi, for being our Dolly Parton—in the way you know in your heart that she will accept you wholeheartedly, thank you for the belief that you will accept us as we are, too.” —Canthius

“Shafi’s real, radical vulnerability and acceptance carries its power from the beginning of the book through to the finish.” —Shrapnel Magazine

“Shafi writes as if she is sitting down with you for a coffee to tell you her life story.” —Broken Pencil Magazine