George Sourrys’ new novel is a voyage of ancient Greek-inspired enlightenment

·

George Sourrys can’t help but let a laugh escape when I ask him how long it took to write his latest novel The Synchronicity of Ulysses. 

“I decided around [2003] that I wanted to write the book. I probably even came up with the title back then. I just didn’t know what I was going to write. I didn’t have the wisdom to be able to write it. I’ve done a whole lot of searching since then.” 

“You can say I’ve been working on it for 18 years but the actual writing was more like six-to-seven years.” 

Sourrys is a writer, investor, and commercial model, but wants to be best known as a philosopher, he tells me. Or rather, a “backyard philosopher,” in his words. 

“I remember I went and saw a guidance counselor who said, ‘Oh, don’t do philosophy. You’ll never get a job out of that,” he says. 

George Sourrys grew up in the “outback desert climate” of Mount Isa, north-west of Queensland, and says he wasn’t out-and-proud about being half-Kytherian in “the middle of nowhere”. 

George Sourrys released his debut novel in March (Left) (Source: StarNow) (Right: Sourced via Instagram @georgesourrys)

“As a child, for some reason, I just wanted to be like everyone else and be Australian, even though I was born in Australia,” he says. 

“It took me a while to realise the power that comes with being Greek.” 

Sourrys later moved with his family to attend boarding school in Brisbane but it wasn’t until a trip to Greece when he was 16, and later 28, that he began embracing his heritage.

“I felt myself to be, at that time, a kind of searcher of secrete knowledge,” he says. 

Just like the ancient Greek philosophers, I felt like I had a kinship with them.” 

It’s hard not to notice the parallels between Sourrys and Ulysses, the protagonist in his novel: both are wisdom seekers inspired by the philosophers of ancient Greece. 

“There are definitely elements of myself in quite a few of the characters.”

“[Ulysses’] journey is similar to my journey,” of course without the “fantastical” aspects, Sourrys says, but it’s his philosophies that form the basis of his novel. 

“That’s my lesson in the book: the world is an amazing place… all the beauty you’re looking for is all around you, you just have to open your eyes to it.”

The Synchronicity of Ulysses is available in book stores and online.

Cretan Convention - Web Banner

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

St Benedict School in Mt Torrens rejects screens, embraces ancient Greek philosophy

Established in early 2024 by members of the Catholic Church of the Holy Name, St Benedict has grown to around 50 students.

Greece’s stolen treasures find a digital voice in UNESCO’s Vanishing Museum

UNESCO’s Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects, launched at MONDIACULT 2025 in Barcelona, offers a new way to confront cultural loss.

Michael Tassis included among SEQ’s leading hospitality bosses

With 11 venues already thriving and a twelfth on the way, Tassis has cemented his place as one of Queensland’s most dynamic restaurateurs.

EU to replace passport stamps with biometric border system

The E.U. is preparing to phase out traditional passport stamps for non-EU travelers, introducing a new digital border control program.

Parthenon free of scaffolding for the first time in 15 years

For the first time in over 15 years, Athenians and visitors can enjoy an unobstructed view of the Parthenon.

You May Also Like

Devastation in Lebanon – World leaders send condolences as more than 70 dead and 3,700 wounded

A massive explosion and a serious shock wave shook the Lebanese capital city of Beirut on Tuesday. Emergency workers are responding to extensive damages...

Kogarah Community Services hold special intergenerational event with Cathy Dimarchos

Kogarah Community Services' (KCS) postponed International Women's Day intergenerational event went ahead on Tuesday, March 22 at the KCS Hub.

Young kids get creative at the Hellenic Club of Canberra’s Easter workshops

Young kids enjoyed fun activities at the Hellenic Club of Canberra’s annual Easter workshop over the weekend, making lots of delicious treats.