Sneha Sabu is an international strategist, development thinker, motivational speaker, and award-winning author whose work has impacted communities across the globe. With a career spanning multiple sectors and countries, she has worked extensively to improve the lives of communities across 18 countries in the Asia Pacific region, combining strategic planning with a deep commitment to social development. Alongside her professional achievements, Sneha has also made a mark as a writer whose books aim to inspire awareness, reflection, and meaningful conversations.
Born and raised in Kangazha, a small village in Kerala—often called “God’s Own Country”—Sneha’s journey from a rural upbringing surrounded by paddy fields and rubber plantations to becoming a global strategist reflects the possibilities created through determination and purpose. She completed her Master’s degree in Communication from Madras Christian College, where she graduated as the University of Madras First Rank Holder. Her academic journey continued across prestigious global institutions, including MBA Essentials from the London School of Economics and Political Science, Executive Education in Strategic Frameworks from Harvard Kennedy School, Economics for Managers from Harvard Business School, a Diploma in Government Management from the Australian Institute of Management, a Master Certificate in Project Leadership and System Design, and a Certificate in Financial Management from Cornell University.
Sneha began her professional career as a journalist before transitioning to strategy planning in 2006. Since then, she has worked across the government, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors, focusing on development strategy and community transformation. During her time with World Vision India, she played a key role in preparing national development strategies and travelled across several states, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges faced by vulnerable communities.
Later, with Habitat for Humanity International, she was responsible for preparing country strategies for 18 countries across the Asia Pacific region, an experience that broadened her understanding of diverse development contexts. Currently, Sneha works in the government sector in Australia, where she contributes to corporate planning and community policy initiatives. She is also pursuing her PhD on the Localisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in Australia, further strengthening her commitment to sustainable and inclusive development.
Alongside her professional career, Sneha is a passionate writer who has written over 25 short stories for children and numerous poems. Her children’s book Stay Safe with Ruby and Reuben, which promotes awareness about personal safety among children, has received multiple international awards, including the BREW Reader’s Choice Book of the Year (2023). Her poetry collection My Lost Pages (2024) has also earned global recognition, including the Literary Titan Gold Book Award and a finalist position at the American Book Fest Best Book Awards.
Sneha’s contributions have been widely recognised through honours such as the Bharath Gaurav Puraskar, International Achievers’ Award, and recognition as one of the Top 100 Changemakers by Silicon Valley Times. Currently living in Australia with her family, she continues to write, research, and advocate for a safer, more equitable world—especially for children and vulnerable communities.
We at BookGeeks got a lucky chance to have a tête-à-tête with the author, and here is what she has to say about her latest poetry collection, ‘My Lost Pages’.
| Tell us a bit about yourself, how did your journey with poetry begin? |
| I wrote my first poem while I was in eighth grade. I saw an instant acceptance and appreciation for my work among readers. At that age, I kept on writing what I felt and thought about. It was fun to scribble a few lines. |
| What does poetry mean to you personally? Is it a form of self-expression, healing, or something more? |
| Poetry is a combination of self-expression, healing and above all, fun for me. I listen to my heart and how it feels – so it is good to create works that give me a sense of expression, fun, and healing. |
| Do you follow any writing routine or are your poems born out of spontaneous moments? |
| At times, I follow a writing routine; other times, poems are born out of spontaneous moments. When I am slack, I like to set up a routine to ensure I am making progress. The poems born out of spontaneous moments balance the structure with the free flow. |
| Tell us about the work you do in your professional sphere? How has it shaped you as a person and as a writer? |
| I work as a full-time strategist and am responsible for preparing future plans. Planning has enabled me to fit in with multiple hobbies, interests and above all, time for people in life. I am also pursuing my PhD part-time. I like to be organised, explore new things and live life to the fullest. |
| What inspired the title My Lost Pages? Was there a specific memory or moment that led to it? |
| Several thoughts come into our minds as humans. Some are expressed to others as words, while some remain in our mind and over time they are caged and are not released into the external world. My Lost Pages refers to the lost pages of the human mind, thus the title. |
| This collection touches on such a wide variety of topics. How did you decide which poems to include? |
| When I decided to write a poetry collection of 25 poems, I allowed the spirit of writing to run its course. I stopped when I completed 25 poems, and that was included in the book. I listen only to my creative voice when I write. So, the topic or theme for each poem is driven by this voice. |
| Many poems draw from your travels—how does being in a new place affect your creative process? |
| More than travel, it is the experience from different places and communities that has influenced me. It is straightforward – our environment and the people around us influence us every day. They sediment in our mind and end up influencing what we do. This influence also impacts creative expression. |
| Which poem in the collection feels most personal or closest to your heart, and why? |
| I do not have a personal favourite. Selecting a favourite would be like showing my own bias towards a creative mood. For an author, the mind travels through a spectrum like a VIBGYOR. So, I do not pick one colour over the other. They are a favourite for the mind in that given hour of writing. |
| You write in free verse—what draws you to this style rather than more structured forms of poetry? |
| I am free spirited, and this is reflected in my style of writing. |
| Do you revise your poems extensively or go with the first instinct and emotion that flows out? |
| Not really. I make minor semantic edits. As much as possible, the original thought is retained. |
| Tell us about your other interests apart from writing? |
| Interior designing, motivational speaking, singing and dancing are my other interests. |
| Who or what is your biggest source of inspiration in life? |
| I like to seek inspiration from within. I find this approach to be sustainable. When you connect with your inner thoughts, allowing your mind to explore, experiment, and create, you find inspiration in the mundane, daily moments. I do not chase the world or others for seeking that. I like it to come from within – the more I explore myself, the more I unleash sides that I have never seen. |
| One thing that you cannot live without |
| Genuine connections. At the surface level, I am on amicable terms with the world. However, I take time to establish and pilot deep connections – it is this approach that helps me differentiate the wheat and the chaff. At the surface level, people are different, and once you connect at a deeper level, you peel down different levels of the onion. It is at this level that I know who my real connection is and with whom I want to establish deeper roots. |
| Do you have plans for another poetry collection or perhaps a different genre of writing in the future? |
| I am working on a children’s fantasy, crime fiction, humour and a self-help book simultaneously. I keep writing different genres based on my creative play and interests. I am open to exploring new collections and different genres in the future. |
| What advice would you give to aspiring poets who are still trying to find their voice? |
| Be a true master piece of yourself. |
You can buy My Lost Pages by Sneha Sabu using the link below.
