Bondi shark attack survivor directs trauma into book for ‘lost boys’

Shark attack survivor turned debut* novelist Glenn Orgias knows all about how life can kick a young man in the teeth.

It was getting dark on 12 February 2009 when Orgias – then in his 20s and adrift in more ways than one – was pulled under the water by a shark while surfing off Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

His hand was later amputated* – but somehow that near-death experience made Orgias determined to live more comfortably in his own skin.

Now the author of new crime novel Teeth Kicker hopes his fictional tale resonates* with one group of readers in particular: young men.

The father of two teenage girls, Orgias has backed the free Kids News Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee. As a child with mild dyslexia*, Orgias couldn’t spell but always loved reading – and now he’s passionate about boosting literacy among young people, especially those teenage boys who feel as lost as he did.

Registrations in the fun, free national spelling challenge remain open until Friday 21 August and has attracted a record 90,000 student registrations so far.

Writing his adult fiction debut came from Orgias’ concern that not enough boys today are being told that they’re “inherently* good humans with a lot to offer”.

“That can make them feel really disconnected,” he said. “They just take it underground and then unfortunately … they start to get influenced by people who know how to dig into that.

“I feel really sad about that. This book is an attempt to try to connect with that generation of young men and say, ‘Look, there are people out there who feel the same way as you’.”

Orgias said he struggled with his own identity as a child and young man – which is part of why he believes foundation literacy skills are so fundamental.

“Yes, it’s about learning the skill of reading but it’s also about learning … that you’re not alone,” he said. “I was a little uncomfortable with who I was. The shark attack (helped me) to … back myself and just be confident with who I am. That’s really challenging when you’re a kid.”

Despite the dyslexia, Orgias said early literacy was “really important” for him.

“I was a huge reader as a child, even though I couldn’t spell. I loved reading, it was really my outlet.”

Asked his advice for budding young fiction writers worried that everyone thinks they’re a phony*, Orgias said that feeling was just “a natural part of putting something you create out into the world”.

“You have to be vulnerable* and prepared for some rejection and some criticism,” Orgias said. “If you have that impostor syndrome* – which you will definitely have – you need to love your own work, you need to be proud of what you’ve done, you need to believe in it.”

Set in Newcastle, where Orgias went to university, Teeth Kicker was inspired by his own history.

“I think teenagers … at least boys … think they’re invincible* for a couple of years there,” he said. “That absolutely nothing can happen and you’re completely invincible. I really felt that … (until) the moment when I found out that I was not invincible and in fact life was fragile and precious. And that’s what I tried to write about.”

Having struggled with spelling, Orgias’ message to dyslexic students and others was that the importance of reading and writing went far beyond classroom learning.

“Reading really helps people understand each other and have empathy* for each other and I think that’s fundamental,” he said.

“Yes, it’s about learning the skill of reading but it’s also about learning how people are in the world (and) how to emotionally connect with (others).

“That (knowledge) you’re not alone: that’s what reading provides. My fear is that if people don’t read, or stop reading, or don’t read as much, that they can feel much more isolated than they need to.”

Orgias said age-old confusions of youth lived in this era have made connecting in the wider world “pretty difficult for the younger generation of men”.

“A better outcome is connecting with the people around you,” he said. “That’s what reading does and … that’s what I hope for, for young men. If you love reading, you’ve got something for life that will always be a comfort for you.”

Registrations and the school round of the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee remain open until 5pm AEST on Friday 21 August. Visit spelling-bee.com.au, kidsnews.com.au

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GLOSSARY

• debut: someone performing or presenting something to the public for the first time
• amputated: when a part of the body has to be surgically removed
• resonates: leaves a lasting impression, feels true and evokes a sense of shared meaning
• dyslexia: a learning difficulty in one or more of the areas of reading, writing and spelling
• inherently: exists as an inseparable part of something; intrinsic
• empathy: the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be them
• phony: fake, not authentic, genuine or real
• vulnerable: leaving yourself open emotionally, accepting that you may be hurt
• impostor syndrome: the common feeling of not deserving one’s success, and of being of a failure despite a record of achievements
• invincible: unbeatable, impossible to defeat, conquer, or overcome

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What part of Glenn Orgias’ body was amputated after the shark attack?
2. The attack happened at which famous Australian beach?
3. The author struggled with a mild form of which word-based learning difficulty?
4. Where is his adult crime novel Teeth Kicker set?
5. What does Orgias regard as “fundamental”?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Overcoming adversity
This Kids News article describes several challenges Orgias has experienced in his lifetime.

Write down the challenges he has mentioned and how he responded.

Challenge

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Response

–

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Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What are some things that can help young people feel like they belong?

Write some key points and strategies that young people could refer to when they are feeling alone or not connected.

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.