Work

One voice. Several frequencies.

Long-form fiction, reported argument, audio storytelling and jokes built to survive contact with the news cycle.

Books

Stories that move between worlds.

Memoir · 2014

I, Migrant

A comedian’s journey from Karachi to the Australian outback: open, politically sharp and frequently ambushed by wildlife.

Shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and Russell Prize for Humour Writing.

Find the book

Fantasy novel · 2019 edition

Boy of Fire and Earth

Karachi as you have never seen it: djinns, the Devil and a young man trying to retrieve the soul of the girl he loves.

“Bold, compelling fantasy with a truly original setting.” — Saladin Ahmed

Find the book

Non-fiction · 2017

The Islamic Republic of Australia

A funny, reported journey beyond stereotypes to meet the people and contradictions inside Muslim Australia.

Adapted from the ABC RN documentary series.

Find the book

A novel by Sami ShahFanaticForthcoming

Novel · Forthcoming

Fanatic

A new novel forthcoming from Penguin Random House Australia.

More details soon.

Podcasts · Radio · Audio fiction

Made to be heard.

Weekly news satire

News Weakly

Independent satire, analysis and documentary storytelling. New every Saturday.

Listen

Audio fiction

The Missed

An award-winning crime noir drama about a missing girl, a refugee family and a town in panic.

Listen

ABC RN documentary

The Islamic Republic of Australia

A five-part investigation of faith, identity and the many ways Islam is lived in Australia.

Listen

ABC RN documentary

Shutup

Who gets to speak, who gets punished and why free speech is rarely as simple as its loudest defenders claim.

Listen

ABC RN documentary

Let’s Talk About Race

An inquiry into the language, evasions and lived realities that shape how Australia talks about race.

Listen

ABC comedy podcast

Laughing Dead

Comedians revisit the performances that died hardest—and lived to become much better stories.

Listen

University of Melbourne

Ear to Asia

Conversations with researchers and experts about the forces reshaping contemporary Asia.

Listen

Journalism & commentary

Analysis with a disclosed point of view.

Sami writes and speaks on politics, media, race, religion, migration, free speech and the small absurdities that expose larger systems.

His work has appeared in Crikey, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Age, the ABC and publications across Pakistan.

Current articlesBrowse recent work ArchiveThe Saturday Paper ArchiveThe Guardian Teaching & researchUniversity of Melbourne

Stand-up

Four albums. Several poor decisions.

Cuck

Punching Down

Live at Soba Stadium

Live at the Noodle Palace

Commissioning something new?

Let’s make the next one.

Start a conversation