Two great travel books with a difference by Central Coast authors will be officially launched on June 8 at Woy Woy Library as part of the Words on the Waves Writers Festival.
Sally Jane Smith’s first book, Unpacking for Greece, follows the author’s journey as she sets out for Europe with her mother’s 1978 travel diary in her pocket.
Searching for the wanderlust she had lost in a devastating overseas road accident, Smith ventures into the heart of the Mediterranean – wandering volatile landscapes, exploring historical sites, pairing books with places and savouring the tastes of Greece.
The book is written in an easy-to-read style with warmth and humour, fully engaging readers as they accompany Smith on her adventures as she realises it is possible for a clumsy, out-of-shape woman on a budget to experience a life-changing journey.
Readers will identify with Smith as she connects with her past, overcomes her fears and falls in love with life again, one olive at a time.
They will also want to jump on to the first plane headed for Greece.
Born in South Africa, Smith has lived on five continents and visited 33 countries, but she gives credit to Greece for turning her into a writer.
She completed a Varuna residency in 2018 and has published articles in Gulf News, Women’s Ink! and Brevity Blog.
Her creative non-fiction also appears in Itchy Feet: Tales of Travel and Adventure and the Newcastle Short Story Award Anthology 2022.
Smith moved to the Central Coast in early 2008 and has lived here ever since – first at Calga and then in Gosford.
“For the first two years I worked at Walkabout Wildlife Park, which gets a brief mention in Chapter Two of Unpacking for Greece,” she said.
“While I’m a bit of an introvert – like many writers – I’ve been involved in a number of community initiatives.
“I started a book club that was based at Reviver; I was a volunteer dog walker before the local rescue centre closed down; I helped out with the iconic Poppy Project; and I attended drumming classes at The Rhythm Hut for years (although I’ve never been much good at it!)”
After being a volunteer at the inaugural Words on the Waves Writers Festival in Umina, Smith said she was extremely proud to have been selected for local author launch program.
Zoe Farrell’s delightful book Daph and Ern’s Adventures- Finding Yourself on the Road, follows a cranky old couple (the alter egos of Farrell and her husband Aaron) as they travel around Australia in a campervan.
This is a hybrid book of stand-alone funny stories of life on the road in a campervan, interlaced with a journey of self-reflection and discovery.
The journey leads to eight simple steps of self-change that could have dramatic effects on one’s life and the world and concludes with an experiment to prove how individual happiness can have collective consequences.
“Everybody loves a funny story, and this book is filled with those,” Farrell said.
“It also has an underlying message that happiness is our birthright and it is easy to find it when you know where to look … within.
“Daph and Ern are relatable characters; readers will see themselves in the stories, laugh and learn, and begin to reflect on their own lives.
“I want my readers to above all, have fun.
“I am hoping that, as the book progresses, readers will hear the truth in my words, which will ignite their own spiritual journey.
“My aim is to inspire, intrigue and give them hope.”
Farrell is a nurse and midwife, wife, mother, and grandmother who lives at Ourimbah with her husband Aaron and their fur baby Frank.
The two books will be launched at Woy Woy Library from 6.30pm to 7.30pm on Thursday, June 8.
Book your spot at https://wordsonthewaves.com.au/book-launches-2023/.
Terry Collins