Meet Award-winning, Bestselling Australian Author Shelley Dark this June
Posted by estiator at 12 June, at 08 : 10 AM Print
Readers around the world can participate in upcoming Zoom events
June 11, 2026—BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA—Author Shelley Dark’s international fans are in for a treat this June. The award-winning Australian author will participate in two Zoom events giving readers around the globe the opportunity to participate in exciting discussions.
In her bestselling 2024 memoir Hydra in Winter (independently published), Dark chased a real-life 1820’s pirate to an island in Greece. The following year, she brought him to life in the historical novel, Son of Hydra (independently published).
Over the period of seven years, Dark’s research took her to different parts of Australia and across Europe. The stories of these trips are as fascinating as her books. She’ll talk about her travel adventures, as well as their challenges, and provide research tips, on Saturday, June 19 at 12 pm EST. The event is hosted by the Hellenic Writer’s Group of Washington, DC. Register via email at hellenicwritersgroup@gmail.com.
Then on Wednesday, June 24 at 7 pm EST, join a lively discussion about Son of Hydra, hosted by the Greek Elder Care Network Book Club. Reserve your spot at https://forms.gle/UJJbG67FuUynsekp6.
Son of Hydra draws on the true story of Ghikas Voulgaris—her husband’s great-great-grandfather and Australia’s first Greek convict, a foundation figure in the story of Greek settlement in Australia. Dark intertwines piracy and exile with a love story, restoring a forgotten pioneer to the historical record. Set between war-torn Hydra in the 1820s and the convict colony of New South Wales in the following decade, Son of Hydra follows the true story of a privileged Greek youth caught between honor and disgrace, wealth and ruin. He’s forced to learn that kindness, not power, defines a man.
It is both intimate and expansive, grounded in real events and driven by a fiery and compelling cross-cultural love story. Told in Ghikas’ own voice—wry, proud, and unrepentant—it paints a vivid portrait of early colonial New South Wales through the eyes of a Greek outsider. The novel also explores the lifelong male friendships that shape Ghikas—childhood bonds tested by time and circumstance, and central to the novel’s emotional power.
Don’t miss these opportunities to “meet” Dark. With her signature wit, these are events not to be missed. For more information about Shelley Dark and her work, visit shelleydark.com.
