$22.20
- Paperback
352 pages
- Release Date
1 December 2020
Summary
Gregory Smith was homeless for much of his adult life and lived for many years as a recluse in a forest in New South Wales. He now has a PhD in Sociology and teaches at Southern Cross University.
What makes a man turn his back on society? What makes him return?
For years a man calling himself Will Power lived in near-total isolation in northern New South Wales, foraging for food, eating bats and occasionally trading for produce. But who was this mysterious man who roamed the f…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781760899165 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 176089916X |
| Author: | Gregory Smith |
| Publisher: | Penguin Random House Australia |
| Imprint: | Penguin Random House Australia |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 352 |
| Release Date: | 1 December 2020 |
| Weight: | 300g |
| Dimensions: | 33mm x 129mm x 198mm |
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Gregory Smith
Gregory Peel Smith was born in Tamworth, New South Wales, in 1955. His early life was marked by a dysfunctional and abusive household, a Catholic orphanage, foster care, and juvenile detention centres. He experienced homelessness for much of his adult life.
At thirty-five, Gregory retreated to live in near isolation in a northern New South Wales rainforest for ten years. He re-emerged in 1999, close to death, and embarked on an educational journey. Despite a limited formal education, he pursued a Certificate I in Information Technology, a bridging course at TAFE, and in 2004, began a degree in sociology at Southern Cross University. He graduated with first-class honours in 2007, while still experiencing homelessness.
In 2016, Gregory earned a PhD for his significant research on ‘Forgotten Australians’, individuals who, like himself, endured abuse in institutional out-of-home care. He is now a research fellow, senior lecturer in social sciences, and chair of the faculty of Business, Law and Arts at Southern Cross University.
Gregory is recognized as a leading lived experience expert on post-traumatic stress disorder, mental illness, domestic violence, addiction, and homelessness. He is a public speaker and policy advisor, consulting on government initiatives such as the End Street Sleeping Collaboration.
A passionate advocate for the marginalized, Gregory serves as a patron for numerous homelessness service providers and is a global consultant for the Institute of Relational Health in the United States.
His memoir, Out of the Forest, was published in 2018. Gregory currently resides in Orange, New South Wales, with his partner, Catherine, their family, and his chickens.
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