World Book Day: 5 contemporary Greek books you should know about

·

By John Voutos

  1. Silence of the Girls (2018) by Pat Barker:

Pat Barker gives a new voice to the forgotten women of Homer’s Iliad (c. 762 B.C.) in this feminist retelling of the story of Briseis, or Ἱπποδάμεια. Briseis was a princess enslaved and sold to Achilles in the lead-up to the fall of Troy in the Trojan War. Silence of the Girls paints the stark reality that 11th-century carnage brought most women. Pat Barker is the English Booker Prize-winning author behind such works as The Ghost Road (1995). Silence of the Girls was shortlisted for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Courtesy of Penguin Random House.
  • Ariadne (2021) by Jennifer Saint:

Jennifer Saint’s decorative Ariadne retells the story of the Princess of Crete, Ariadne, and sister Phaedra, daughters of King Minos, in the story of the Minotaur. Ariadne is 304 pages of sisterhood, secret, and tragedy – in ancient Greek style – in Saint’s fresh debut to our bookshops. Saint gives a renewed perspective on the sacrifice Ariadne made to help Theseus, Prince of Athens, slay the Minotaur; and whether it was all worth it. Similar to Pat Barker’s Silence of the Girls (2018)and Madeline Miller’s Circe (2018), Saint’s Ariadne is another great addition to the historical fiction genre.

Courtesy of goodreads.com
  • Troy: The Siege of Troy Retold (2020) by Stephen Fry:

Stephen Fry’s Troy (2020) revisits the story of Troy, including the kidnapping of Helen of Troy, in the third instalment to his ancient Greek collection. Following the success of Mythos (2017)and Heroes (2017), Britain’s favourite game-show host brings the battle of Troy to life in this story of hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. 

Courtesy of penguin.com.au
  • Lucky’s (2020) by Andrew Pippos:

Andrew Pippos finds his own Greek father in Vasilis ‘Lucky’ Mallios, the restaurant chain owner explored in his debut novel Lucky’s (2020). Pippos grew up in Sydney as the son of café owners himself and now works as a lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney. Lucky’s follows a familiar Greek-Australian experience with family, migration, and tribulation at its core. Lucky’s launched to critical acclaim, including being shortlisted for the MUD Literary Prize 2021 and being shortlisted for the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year 2021. We’re keeping an eye out for Pippos’ new non-fiction project.

Courtesy of Pan Macmillan AU
  • Wild Colonial Greeks (2020) by Peter Prineas:

Peter Prineas’ Wild Colonial Greeks (2020) explores the history of Greek Australians in colonial-era Australia in the early-1900s. It shows how Greeks were viewed by the mainstream press and chronicles their journey in a foreign land. Wild Colonial Greeks includes the stories of Spiridion Candiottis, a goldfields doctor, and Andreas Lagogiannis,a hotelier. This book takes a magnifying glass to the early beginnings of the Greek-Australian diaspora.

Courtesy of the Australian Scholary Publishing (ASP) website.
greek film festival sydney new

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

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

Advertisement

Latest News

Greek Cultural Precinct at Northcote’s Holy Monastery of Axion Estin moves closer to reality

Plans to transform the Holy Monastery of Axion Estin in Northcote into a landmark Greek Cultural Precinct have entered a critical new phase.

NUGAS Ball 2025: A night of dance, culture and community for Greek youth

Arguably one of the biggest annual Greek events in Melbourne, the 2025 NUGAS Ball welcomed 755 guests to Crown Palladium on Sunday.

St George Orthodox Church in SA marks 65 years of community, culture and faith

The 65-Year Gala for the Greek Orthodox Community and Parish of St George, Thebarton was more than an anniversary.

Aegean Nights: A vibrant new dance party for Sydney’s Greek youth

Progressive Community of Agiasos (PCA) presents Aegean Nights, a vibrant new Dance Party event designed to unite the younger generation.

Adelaide Council backs sister-city MoU with Athens in unanimous vote

Adelaide has unanimously approved an MoU to formalise a sister-city relationship with Athens, paving the way for deeper ties.

You May Also Like

Golden Dawn member to be extradited back to Greece to serve 13-year prison sentence

A Greek far-right member of the European Parliament arrested last month in Belgium can be extradited to Greece to serve a 13-year prison sentence.

Cyprus returns remains of Greek soldiers killed in 1974 invasion

“I am very moved... that my brother is a hero,” said Angeliki Karagouni, sister of Charalambos Karagounis, who died in the invasion.

Anna Mavromatis and Ben Calabro’s new ‘wet taco’ is taking Sydney by storm

Anna Mavromatis and Ben Calabro's new 'wet taco,' the birria, is taking Sydney by storm. Find out where you can buy it here.