Odyssey: Gillian Cross & Neil Packer’s Physical Response To A Digital World

by: Xena Blair

Award winning author Gillian Cross teamed up with Neil Packer to create an illustrated version of Homer’s Odyssey for children. Packer spent six years working on the illustrations, which are executed with the affection of someone fully committed to their craft. The Odyssey can stand alone, but it is the combination of words and visually striking images that make this particular version of Homer’s Odyssey a staggering accomplishment.

A classic piece of literature contains an air of immortality, especially in the age of e-accomodation. Drawing from that inspiration, Cross wanted to create an object of beauty for the digitally inclined masses. In doing so, the reader gets to enjoy the experience of touching crisp pages of a timeless epic.