Central Coast author Sally Jane Smith is set to publish her second novel in April.
Repacking for Greece is a follow-up to Smith’s 2023 book, Unpacking for Greece, which followed the author’s European adventures inspired by her mother’s 1978 travel diary.
Smith once again immerses the reader in Greece’s awe-inspiring landscapes and fascinating heritage sites.
She delights in absorbing the country’s rich history and connecting the dots between legend, location and contemporary literature, recounting her experiences in an easy-to-read casual style.
Repacking for Greece travels from an initial flashback chapter in 20th-century South Africa to 10 memorable Greek destinations: Athens and Delphi on the mainland; Nafplio, Mycenae, Epidavros and Methana on the Peloponnese Peninsula; and the islands of Hydra, Poros, Kefalonia and Corfu (with a side trip to Albania).
The book takes the reader from a glimpse of Mandela at his release rally to the sound of water splashing onto Greek stone.
The book can be read either as a standalone story, or as a sequel to Unpacking for Greece, which was named by Greek government website Greek News Agenda as Reading Greece Book of the Month in July last year.
The cover of this latest travel-themed memoir features a very personal item: the scuffed red journal that has brought Smith closer to her mother’s memory.
In the background stand the three remaining columns of Delphi’s Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, reaching up to dawn-lit skies.
Smith said this archaeological site was the setting for a significant moment in her internal journey from middle-aged fear to mid-life fulfilment.
“Greece is the star of this story, but the narrative also follows my personal transformation while I was there,” she said.
“My first book was about letting go of personal baggage: regrets about my relationship with my mum, who died when I was in my 20s, and a deep fear of buses following a long-ago solo travel accident.
“The new release, Repacking for Greece, is about replenishment.
“It is about abandoning anxiety and finding joy.”
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 residency at Varuna, the Writers’ House in the Blue Mountains in 2018 and has published articles in Gulf News, TripFiction, Women’s Ink! and Brevity Blog.
Her story of her great-great-grandmother’s extraordinary life appears in the anthology Itchy Feet: Tales of Travel and Adventure.
Her exploration of travel and grief is included in the Newcastle Short Story Award Anthology 2022.
Repacking for Greece is available at bookstores and online retailers from April 20.