A list of ‘Instapoets’ who spun magic with words and create beautiful verses out of chaos.
by Aisiri Amin
The charm of poetry was starting to fade away when the new generation of poets on Instagram, popularly known as ‘Instapoets’ brought it back. Suddenly, typewriters became precious and poems became the voice of the soul. As we move through the fast-paced digital world, these poems bring us the much needed pause in our fast-paced lives. A pause to reflect, to remember and most importantly, to feel.
Here are some of the Instapoets who never fail to win our heart with their words:
1. Tyler Knott Gregson
As you crawl through the humdrum of everyday life, a poet comes along with the exact words our weary hearts crave for. Tyler Knott Gregson stirred frayed souls with his typewritten words, bringing back the magic that poetry is made of. For a generation that is too impatient for William Shakespeare or Pablo Neruda, Gregson through his poems on Instagram smoothly sneaks in the charm of poetry in the digital space.
With around 300k followers on Instagram and the author of published books, Chasers of the Light and All the Words Are Yours: Haiku on Love, Gregson has seeped into the lives of thousands of people all over the world through the familiarity of his words, and the emotions that linger long after reading his poems.
2. Lang Leav
An international best-selling author and winner of the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award and coveted Churchill Fellowship, Lang Leav’s poetry is for the old souls. Almost confessional and conversational, Leav’s poetry about love, heartbreak, nostalgia and memories tug on your heart and strike a chord with readers around the world. With around 350k followers, she has made her way to become one of the most popular Instapoets.
She has written five books Love & Misadventure, Lullabies, Memories, The Universe is Us and Sad Girls. Born in a refugee camp in Thailand, her parents fled Cambodia and settled in Australia with an almost year old Leav. She is a survivor who turned to words as a solace and inspired many to do the same.
3. R. M. Drake
Robert Macias, a self-published writer, goes by the name R.M. Drake. He worked as an art director for a television show company in Miami when he started posting his writing on Instagram. His book Beautiful Chaos became 7th best-selling book in Amazon’s poetry category.
With 1.7 million followers on Instagram, Drake is one of the most widely known Instapoets. In a interview with Tech Times he said, “The more I write things about myself the more that people relate to it.”
Talking about the influence of social media he said , “At least on social media, people want to expose how they’re feeling and things they’re going through and that’s what my writing does. It’s self-exploration and self-therapy.”
Deeply personal and strangely familiar, it doesn’t take long for his words to find a place in your heart. His words stirs your soul, hold you together and lets you travel through your memories with them.
4. Christopher Poindexter
Author of two books, Naked and Lavender, Christopher Poindexter is an American poet who describes himself as an ‘observer’ and ‘lover of the human race.’ He brews his magic in an old Remington typewriter and considers Jim Morrison to be his spirit animal.
His poems talk about love, the scars that come with it and everything in between. Pointdexter’s words hold in them a certain charm that can move the souls of cynics. He sells his poems on Etsy and posts the typewritten ones on his popular Instagram account where he has around 350k followers.
5. Nikita Gill
Indian-origin poet and visual artist, Nikita Gill was rejected by 137 publishers before the Instagramers fell in love with her. Gill writes for Thought Catalog and in 2016 she published her widely appreciated book, Your Soul is my River. Her next book, Wild Embers: Poems of rebellion, fire and beauty will go on sale in November this year.
Gill started with Tumblr and later on began posting on Instagram where she is followed by 178k people today. Her poetry has inspired many people around the world, especially women. A feminist herself, Gill in many of her poems, emphasises women’s strength and aims to empower them through her words.
Aisiri Amin (she/her) is an independent journalist specializing in gender, culture, and social justice. She is a struggling optimist, trying to understand the world through cinema, books, and travel.