In 1954 Australian writers Charmian Clift and George Johnston, with children in tow, left grey post-war London for Greece. Mermaid Singing details the culture shock and sheer delight of their first year on the tiny sponge-fishing island of Kalymnos. Clift paints an evocative picture of the characters and sun-drenched rhythms of traditional life, long before mass tourism descended.