Hello, I’m Seana Smith

My quit lit memoir ‘Going Under’ is out now

With a tender touch, Smith contemplates the two truths of her childhood: the wild island adventures and the brutal eruptions behind closed doors. Standing on the precipice of her own alcoholism, she realises that reckoning with the past is the only way to shape the future.

Jenny Valentish

Author of Woman of Substances

Going Under is funny, insightful and inspiring.  This is like hanging out with a really brilliant friend who, you know, will make you a better person.

Seana Smith is the real deal – a truth-teller and a writer of immense integrity.

Kathryn Heyman, Author of Fury

Buy Going Under

In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/memoir-family-secrets-addiction-escape/dp/1920727434/

In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-secrets-addiction-escape/dp/1920727434

In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-secrets-addiction-escape/dp/1920727434/

Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.

With sparkling, musical prose and unflinching generosity of spirit, Seana Smith lays bare the facts of a life stalked by alcohol. A life that ricochets ‘between privilege and terror, between adventure and fear.’

So much more than a book about the booze, Going Under is an intricate, often beautiful mosaic of family, the individuals caught inside its sharp-edged cracks, and the self yearning to make sense of all it all. The story of a woman emerging from the brokenness of the past and the never-ending pressures of the present to reclaim joy. 

Honest. Tender. Laugh-cry funny. Walking with Seana through her year of Going Under is to make a new and wise friend.

Kim Kelly, author of Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room

On this website you will find writing on all my favourite subjects:

  • my published books
  • podcasts
  • alcohol-free adventures
  • ocean swimming

Latest stories

Travel Websites I Can Personally Recommend

Here are some of the websites that I know and love, most of them written by travel writer friends of mine. Singapore Travel Insider – written by my friend Marianne, this is a fantastic beginner’s guide to Singapore from an …

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Blue Scotland – a book for swimmers and other water lovers

Excuse me whilst I wipe a tear from my eye as I introduce this new book by adventurer Mollie Hughes. Blue Scotland, The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Scotland’s Wild Waters would make any swimmer drool and experience a sudden urge …

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Five Contraceptives I’m Thrilled To Never Use Again

Contraception? I’ve tried them all, and, to be honest, some worked well… but some didn’t and I’ve got children to prove it. I remember the first time I was pregnant – accidental after two forms of contraception didn’t work – …

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The Best Books On Sobriety for 2026

Reading books on sobriety and listening to podcasts is what helped me most in the weeks and months just after I stopped drinking alcohol. Even before then, when I was wishing I could stop drinking but not believing I could, …

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Wild Swimming In The Central West, NSW

Just over the Blue Mountains west of Sydney lies the Central West of NSW. This is Wiradjuri country, beloved by the local Indigenous people then and now. The towns and villages of the area are a delight to explore; Bathurst, …

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Where To Swim in Bangkok: Best Public Swimming Pools

Public Swimming Pools In Bangkok, Thailand! The public swimming pools found in Bangkok offer a great way to cool off during the summer months. With a pool at your disposal, you can swim, sunbathe, and relax all in the same …

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Swim The World – My Swimming Stories

  • Best places to swim in various cities around the world
  • Why swimming is so good for us
  • Australia’s best ocean swimming
  • Swimming pools and hotel pools

Alcohol-free adventures

  • best sobriety books
  • Non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy
  • Our sober journey stories

The Publisher & The Writer Podcast

Find podcasts and show notes covering all aspects of writing and publishing books in Australia.

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