A 150 Year Slumber: What This Overdue Book Says About Us The return of Antiquities of Athens to Kiama Library, 150 years overdue and stored behind a fireplace in a tea chest, has garnered international attention.
On the surface, it's a charming tale of lost books and forgotten fines – but scratch beneath the surface, and we find a nuanced reflection of our relationship with knowledge, power, and time.
John Simmons' great grandfather was an apprentice stonemason who worked on the Houses of Parliament, and his interest in architecture and building led him to borrow Antiquities of Athens .