COMEDIAN, writer and improvisational actor Sami Shah will be contributing a monthly column to The Avon Valley Advocate and other regional Fairfax Media publications starting next week.
The column will provide readers with Mr Shah's general observations about life in regional WA towns - from schools, family, sport, shopping hours and whatever tickles Sami's fancy.
"People can expect to read about what life in a country town is like with a pinch of humour," he said.
"It's actually fun and cool to live in a country town - those who live in one are in on a secret, and I want to celebrate that secret."
Coming up to July, Mr Shah has been living in Northam for three years.
"My theory is time moves differently in country towns," he said.
"It hits you just how stunning regional areas are - I love the peace and quiet and the slower pace."
In July 2014 Mr Shah published his autobiography called I, Migrant.
Mr Shah said it took him about a month to write the book, and up to a year and a half to have it completed and available for purchase.
The book details Mr Shah's journey from Pakistan to Australia, where he has settled into life in Northam.
An experienced performer, Mr Shah was the host of Pakistan's first TV news satire show.
He has also worked as a journalist and been a newspaper columnist.
Mr Shah left Pakistan and came to our shores with his wife and young daughter after seeing the aftermath of a bomb attack.
He was also the target of death threats.
The 288 page I, Migrant also features a chapter about Northam.
"One of the only places people couldn't buy the book was here in Northam, so I was selling copies from the back of my car," he said.
The Northam chapter deals with Mr Shah's impressions upon arriving in town and his initial settling in period.
"I managed to talk about Northam and other towns without being insulting," he said.
Mr Shah continues to perform stand-up comedy around the State and overseas, and was the focus of an episode of Australian Story on the ABC.
He has also been the subject of an article in The New York Times.
In anticipation for his monthly column with Fairfax Media, Mr Shah describes his sense of humour as sarcastic, cynical and extremely acerbic.
His comedy routines, which see him travelling to Perth four to five times a week, continue to go down well with audiences.
"I am also doing more regional work," he said.
On Saturday Mr Shah travelled to Kellerberrin to perform at a private event.
He has also been overseas to London to much success.
"I find the jokes I tell in Australia work just as well overseas," he said.
"The sense of humour is the same."
Mr Shah said he loved writing and saw the team-up with The Avon Valley Advocate as a positive step.
"It became of thing of 'I am here so I may as well write something about country towns'," he said.
"I will give the local perspective and will try and make it funny, which is always my goal."
Be on the lookout for Sami Shah's monthly column in The Avon Valley Advocate commencing on July 1.
