An Indian poet has caused a stir in the cyber world with some pithy bite-sized poetry that delves into the experiences, hopes, dreams and fears of migrants.

Saman Sharma is breaking up the selfies and BuzzFeed quizzes on Facebook with meaningful statuses that encompass the modern migrant experience.

Indian poet Saman Sharma is moving readers with his Twitter-length ‘flash fiction’

Saman has been published across the globe over the last twenty years but his recent ‘flash fiction’ is immediately moving readers with Twitter length poetry that speaks volumes.

The tiny stories are mainly published through social media and create an instantly relatable connection that can be shared with the click of a button.

Before moving to Australia in 1999 to pursue further education, Sanam had already had various articles published in college newspapers and magazines.

“Naturally most of the things I write about now are from a migrant perspective, particularly Indian,” said Saman.

“My content can be humorous, serious and political. I try to put things into perspective based on my own experience.”

Sanam drove cabs to support himself while studying business administration at university in Melbourne but constantly pursued his creative cravings.

“One night while driving the cab, I was flicking through radio stations and SBS Punjabi came on. I had done a lot of public speaking and drama throughout school so emailed the producer to see if I could get involved with the show,” said Sanam.

After sitting an English and Punjabi exam Sanam became a fill in broadcaster, which then turned into a weekly one hour segment for four years on Punjabi radio.

Sanam’s passion for writing has always been at the forefront of his creative pursuits though, and he is now a regular contributor to Huffington Post and the Indian newspaper Indian Link.

His most recent writing endeavour is a series of ten stories written in 140 words or so to showcase some of the peculiarities of the lives of migrants.

“The stories are around how migrants often after years still miss the places they were born and grew up in, their struggles in a new land, ageing parents, growing kids, etc.”

The format of these stories is pulled from Sanam’s years of experience in longer form writing and his ability as a poet.

“My writing has evolved to fit with the realm of social media and the different audience it attracts,” said Sanam.

“Flash fiction connects with people instantly and they can share that connection by ‘sharing’ it online.”

“Though a main reason I started writing short pieces was to keep myself disciplined to write as I travel a lot for work.”

“Lately I get most of my writing done while in transit or in hotel rooms, so smaller pieces mean I can still write.”

Sanam, who works in human resources, has also recently started volunteering as a mentor for migrant settlement agency AMES Australia’s Professional Migrants Program.

Ruby Brown
AMES Australia Staff Writer