Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Samantha Sirimanne Hyde has called Australia home since 1990. She holds an M.A. in Creative Writing from Macquarie University, Sydney and has published poetry, a collection of short fiction and recently her debut novel, The Lyrebird’s Cry. 

Samantha is a member of White Pebbles Haiku Group which meets in Gosford at the beautiful and peaceful Edogawa Commemorative Garden at the beginning of each season to share in their collective joy of haiku. The group enjoys gathering at the Arts Centre’s café and is often inspired by the exhibitions held at the Regional Gallery.

The Lyrebird’s Cry is a modern tale of self-discovery unfolding mainly in Australia with a short stint in and numerous flashbacks to Sri Lanka. The story delves into issues of gender, love, marriage, sexuality, identity and migration. It also focuses on exploring the main character's self-acceptance issues and the differences in the cultural perception of personal freedom in Sri Lanka and Australia.

Jagath, the main character, returns home to Sri Lanka from Australia but his idyllic holiday turns into a nightmare of deceit and lies when his parents pressure him into an arranged marriage. Will he face his demons or will he continue the charade, like the lyrebird mimicking the sounds of the world around it?

Connect with the author on Twitter as @sam_sirimanne