Can a homeless person find happiness? Michalis Samolis, who packed his life into a suitcase during Greece’s economic crisis, says yes.
His journey from the streets to a life of resilience and inspiration is now told in ‘Invisible People: Life Lessons from the Homeless Michalis Samolis’, written by journalist Tonia Tsakiri.
Published by Papadopoulos Publishing, the book’s launch on October 17—World Poverty Eradication Day—at Shedia Home conveyed powerful messages of dignity and opportunity for those society often overlooks.
Tsakiri, an Athens-based journalist who has also collaborated with Neos Kosmos, joined Michalis Samolis and other speakers at the event.
Through her documentation, Tsakiri brought Samolis’s voice to life, showing that a new beginning is always possible.
Now, Samolis is a fixture in Athens’s homeless community, living in a shelter and working as a Shedia magazine vendor and guide for the “Invisible Routes” tours.
His motto, he says, is that “happiness is found in the few and the profound, not in the many.”
Samolis has even gained international recognition, with interviews on major outlets like the BBC and appearances in National Theatre and Greek National Opera productions, underscoring that nothing can hold him back.
The rest of the panel included Greek MPs Pavlos Geroulanos and Giorgos Stamatis, Shedia magazine founder Christos Alefantis, and moderator Krystallia Glyniadaki, who is a journalist, translator, and poet.
Reflecting on his connection with Samolis, MP Geroulanos described how the life lessons in Invisible People reminded him of his late father’s teachings on empathy.
He urged the Greek public to recognise and engage with those society often renders invisible.
Greek Australian Alefantis, founder of Shedia, highlighted the magazine’s mission of unbiased solidarity and stressed that homelessness demands more than basic shelter—it requires attention, conversation, and access to cultural and social resources that foster full community integration.
Addressing the need for government action, Giorgos Stamatis advocated for providing social housing, especially for elderly homeless individuals.
The MP further stressed that the book’s messages call on policymakers to offer “invisible” people opportunities rather than punishments.
“The state,” Stamatis noted, “has a responsibility to support those who endure homelessness with dignity.”
