For ten years a man calling himself Will Power lived in near-total isolation in northern New South Wales. Some people thought he might be Jesus. Others feared he was a more sinister figure.
The truth was that he was neither miraculous nor malevolent, but he was, most certainly, gifted. And when he finally emerged from the forest, emaciated and close to death, he was determined to reclaim his real name and 'give society another chance'.
Join Gregory Smith as he discusses the incredible story of his book Out of the Forest.
Can't make it? We'll happily have a copy of Gregory Smith's Out of the Forest signed for you. Simply contact us via phone, email, online or visit us in-store, and we'll take care of the rest.
Gregory Smith had a childhood brimming with violence, abuse and confusion. He spent years wandering the east coast of Australia, fluctuating between employment and homelessness.
Somehow Gregory managed to stop long enough to father a daughter, and to marry, twice. That wasn’t enough to pull him out of addiction and battles with mental health. He struggled to make human connection: his childhood had scarred him for life, and made meaningful relationships a frightening prospect. His impulse was always to flee.
Out of the Forest is the uplifting and touching memoir of a man who demonstrates in the most profound way that while our lives can go way off track, we can still find our way back.
In around (circa) 1990, Gregory decided to give it all up and retreated into the forest outside of Mullumbimby, just north of Byron Bay. He lived on the fringes of society in the dense, green wilderness, foraging for food, always mindful of his impact on the environment.
The boy who left school at the age of fourteen became a man who worked to get a university admission, and ultimately earned a PhD in Sociology - Forgotten Australians was the subject of it - and today teaches at Southern Cross University.
