Out of the Box

Reg Spiers arrived in England in 1964 as a world-class athlete. He returned to Australia in a box ... ALIVE! And that was only the start of his adventures.

Crazily impulsive, quixotic and free-spirited, Reg was a champion athlete living in the UK when he became a national hero and hit the international headlines for smuggling himself on a 63-hour, 13,000-mile journey from Heathrow to home because it was cheaper than buying a ticket. But as his fame and sporting career faded, Reg decided to smuggle something very different. In 1980, he and his five housemates were arrested for conspiracy to import A$1.2 million of cannabis resin into Australia. Rather than face years in prison, Reg and his girlfriend, Annie, went on the run.

A wild trip across India, Africa and Sri Lanka brought high-stakes drama - idyllic beaches and prison hellholes, shady friends and shadier cops, gun-toting militias and gun-running gangsters - and ultimately led Reg to a day of reckoning in a courtroom in Sri Lanka. Travelling on a French passport under the name Patrick Albert Claude Ledoux, he was caught by customs with a shoulder bag containing 1149 grams of heroin. Found guilty and sentenced to death, Reg had to use all his wiles and that same astonishing chutzpah that saw him freight himself home twenty years before to fight for his life.

Julie McSorley (Author)

Julie McSorley was born in Adelaide. She later lived in Singapore before studying at Harrow College of the Arts and freelancing as an illustrator in London. Julie's published work includes numerous magazine illustrations and private commissions. after settling in Queensland she illustrated a children's book, CAPTAIN DEADLIGHT'S TREASURE by S. A. Wakefield, a CBCA Notable Book for Younger Readers. Her artwork has been reviewed in the Brisbane SUNDAY SUN and the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. She completed a master's degree and doctorate in educational art criticism while lecturing on various university programs in Brisbane. Her published articles include academic art journals and book reviews. Julie co-authored this book with her son, Marcus, after hearing her husband tell stories about his mate Reg Spiers. With Reg's cooperation, Julie and Marcus have captured this amazing life, where truth is stranger than fiction. Julie currently lives in Spain.

Marcus McSorley (Author)

Marcus McSorley was born in the UK but spent most of his formative years in Australia where he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) degree at QUT in Brisbane. He has since built a diverse list of credits on stage, film and TV commercials. Marcus grew up listening to stories about his Dad's friend, Reg Spiers, and how his father built a box for his mate to post himself home from the UK to Australia. After meeting Reg he knew this was a life story that had to be told. Marcus has co-authored OUT OF THE BOX with his mother, Julie. Marcus lives in the UK.

Reg Spiers arrived in England in 1964 as a world-class athlete. He returned to Australia in a box ... ALIVE! And that was only the start of his adventures.Crazily impulsive, quixotic and free-spirited, Reg was a champion athlete living in the UK when he became a national hero and hit the international headlines for smuggling himself on a 63-hour, 13,000-mile journey from Heathrow to home because it was cheaper than buying a ticket. But as his fame and sporting career faded, Reg decided to smuggle something very different. In 1980, he and his five housemates were arrested for conspiracy to import A$1.2 million of cannabis resin into Australia. Rather than face years in prison, Reg and his girlfriend, Annie, went on the run.A wild trip across India, Africa and Sri Lanka brought high-stakes drama - idyllic beaches and prison hellholes, shady friends and shadier cops, gun-toting militias and gun-running gangsters - and ultimately led Reg to a day of reckoning in a courtroom in Sri Lanka. Travelling on a French passport under the name Patrick Albert Claude Ledoux, he was caught by customs with a shoulder bag containing 1149 grams of heroin. Found guilty and sentenced to death, Reg had to use all his wiles and that same astonishing chutzpah that saw him freight himself home twenty years before to fight for his life.

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