Former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras has outlined the story behind his forthcoming book Ithaca, published by Gutenberg, during a recent appearance on the BookVoice podcast. Speaking with actors Aimilios Heilakis and Spilios Lambropoulos, Tsipras explained that the book blends deeply personal reflection with moments of self-criticism and pointed commentary on figures who played a role in the country’s political drama.
Set for release on November 24, Ithaca offers readers an unusually direct account of Tsipras’s years in power and the tumultuous period that defined modern Greek politics. "I haven’t left anything out", he said. "From the first draft to the last, the book has gone through extensive editing—not to shape how it will be viewed in the future, but to ensure I’m as objective and as fair as possible. You can never be completely fair to people and events, but I revisited the text again and again so that every word reflected me and stayed as close to the truth as possible".
Tsipras described the writing process as both a duty and a catharsis - an effort to confront history, revisit his decisions, and articulate his own version of events. "It wasn’t about image-building; it was more like a reload. I recharged my batteries by writing down what happened and putting my own truth on paper", he said, noting that the book will also be available as an audiobook.
He acknowledged that Ithaca stands apart from typical political memoirs. "No former prime minister writes in the present tense", he remarked. "Everyone writes in the past tense. I offer self-criticism, but I also offer criticism". According to Tsipras, the book was drafted and redrafted multiple times between July and today, as he worked to balance honesty with fairness.
For him, the process was liberating. He described it as therapeutic, a way of gaining self-awareness and rediscovering the emotional texture of the period—especially when the writing moved into scenes, dialogue, and personal experience. Tsipras also explained that his decision to resign from party leadership marked the moment he felt compelled to speak. "So many people, both Greeks and foreigners, have already spoken about this dramatic period in our contemporary history", he said. "It was time for me to do the same".
The book’s title, Ithaca, draws on the symbolism of Homer’s Odyssey. "Ithaca is not a destination; it is an endless journey", Tsipras said. "That’s true for all of us. We all live through our own Odysseys and have our own Ithacas. It’s also about politics, about the Left, about society and its struggles, and the constant evolution of the world. None of it ever stops". He chose the title six months ago, he added, once he realized how well it captured the collective adventure Greece experienced - and the personal journey of anyone who strives, hopes, dreams, and occasionally achieves what they set out to do.
