Author Josie L Smith Newsroom - Profile and News Archive
Josie Lapiz Smith is an author, an artist, and photographer based in Australia. Her work is informed by her experiences, mental health advocacy, and a lifelong engagement with the arts. She also works as a public servant with NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Originally trained as a licensed pharmacist in the Philippines, Josie migrated to Australia to start a family and later worked in aged care as a Home Care Worker. Following her husband's death, she pursued formal study in psychology to better understand trauma and recovery, graduating with a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences from Swinburne University in December 2024.
NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia, Jan. 19, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — “Debris” (ISBN: 978-1834185095), is a new memoir by artist and writer Josie Lapiz Smith and released by Tellwell Publishing December 20, 2025. The book recounts a deeply personal story of love and survival shaped by the devastating 2019-2020 Black Summer Bushfires. Through quiet reflection and unflinching honesty, Josie documents her life with her husband, the emotional aftermath of losing him during the fires and the long process of rebuilding life while raising their young daughter alone.
