The Greek Festival of Sydney and UTS Journalism and Writing are proudly presenting the Greek-Australian Writers’ Festival. A day devoted to recently published books in English by Greek-Australian writers tomorrow Sunday 12th June at the Prince Henry Centre.
Although very different in style and content, all the books are united by common themes of migration, displacement and identity. During the day, the launch of the digital publication of Children of the Revolution will also be introduced. A publication which introduces ideas of identity and place and what it means to be Greek in the diaspora.
“This is a unique opportunity for writers to connect with their readers and come together in conversation. And even though their work is incredibly different, they have a united inspiration and theme- our Greek heritage” said President of the Greek Festival of Sydney, Nia Karteris.
The sessions will run for 45 minutes including questions from the audience. Books will be on sale and authors available for signings.
What: Greek- Australian Writers Festival
Where: Prince Henry Centre, 2 Coastal Rd, Little Bay
When: Sunday, 12 June 10am-5pm
Greek-Australian Writers’ Festival Tickets, Sun 12/06/2022 at 10:00 am | Eventbrite
Book presentations:
10.00-10.45am- Peter Prineas| Wild Colonial Greeks
11.00-11.45am- Nina Angelo| Don’t Cry, Dance
12.00-12.45pm- Children of the Revolution| Digital Publication Launch
1.00- 1.45pm – Andrew Pippos| Lucky’s
2.00- 2.45pm – Cassi Plate| Monster and Colossus
3.00-3.45pm – Peter Papathanasiou | The Stoning
4.00- 4.45pm- George Paxinos| A River Divided
10:00 – 10:45 am
PETER PRINEAS | WILD COLONIAL GREEKS
Peter Prineas’s family are from Kythera and mark a century in Australia this year. Peter’s early writing, ‘Colo Wilderness’ (1978), and ‘Wild places,’ (1983), promoted wilderness conservation, reflecting his work with environmental NGOs for which he was awarded an OAM in 2012. His later works ‘Katsehamos and the Great Idea,’ (2006), ‘Britain’s Greek Islands’ (2012), and ‘Wild Colonial Greeks’ (2020), explore the interface of Greek, Australian and British history and culture. ‘Wild Colonial Greeks’ opens up a relatively unexplored period of Greek immigration by chronicling those who first landed here during colonial times: from the doctor working in the goldfields, the hotelier fighting temperance laws, the convict transported to Van Diemen’s land for robbing the British Museum, to encounters with Indigenous people. Peter will be interviewed by Melbourne writer and historian Louise Wilson whose recent books include ‘Sentenced to Debt: Robert Forrester, First Fleeter’ and ‘Margaret Flockton: A Fragrant Memory’
11:am – 11:45 am
NINA ANGELO | DON’T CRY, DANCE
“My mother, a Polish Ashkenazy Jewish girl, and my father, a Greek Sephardic Jewish man, would never have met if they hadn’t both experienced the attempted extermination of their race at Auschwitz and Mauthausen. […] They knew and taught me that we cannot move on without forgiveness.” Nina’s memoir celebrates her mother Janka and father Alberto – their survival and love story as well as their new beginning in Sydney. Nina is a community artist and will discuss Don’t Cry, Dance with Dr Alfred Vincent. Alfred taught Modern Greek Studies at the University of Sydney and in retirement continues to research and write on Modern Greek topics.
12.00 -12:45 pm
CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION DIGITAL PUBLICATION LAUNCH
In Children of the Revolution, Greek-Australian academics, writers, poets, artists and photographers re-imagine and re-interpret ideas of identity and place and what it means to be Greek in the diaspora. This publication introduces a diverse range of voices with new knowledge on the second and third generational diasporic experience. Published by O Kosmos newspaper this is an example of transitioning media championing diversity of storytelling. Contributors include George Megalogenis, Andrew Pippos, Effy Alexakis, Tony Maniaty, Katerina Cosgrove, Koraly Dimitriadis, Chantal Contouri and many others. The first publication in this series won the 2020 NSW Premier’s Multicultural Media Award. This is the second in the series, and is edited by Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos, a journalist and lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney. A discussion on one of the key themes of the publication: “what has it been like to be the child of migrants” will take place with Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos, Phil Kafcaloudes, Associate Professor Nicholas Doumanis, Festival Chair Nia Karteris, Con Stamacostas, Dr Alexandra Dellios and Koraly Dimitriadis who will also perform her poetry.
1.00-1:45 pm
ANDREW PIPPOS | LUCKY’S
Andrew Pippos’ debut novel Lucky’s was shortlisted for Australia’s most prestigious awards: the Miles Franklin and the Prime Minister’s Literary Prize. He is a lecturer in creative writing at UTS. A former journalist, his essays and short stories have appeared in many publications. Lucky’s celebrates Greek café culture from the 30s to the present day in a multigenerational family saga with love at its heart. Lucky’s began as a Doctorate of Creative Arts at UTS and Andrew will be interviewed by his doctoral supervisor Associate Professor Tony Macris. Tony is the author of many books including When Horse Became Saw, Capital, Great Western Highway, Aftershocks and Inexperience.
2.00 – 2:45 pm
CASSI PLATE | MONSTER AND COLOSSUS
Costas Taktsis, one of Greece’s most important post-war writers, wrote his famous novel The Third Wedding largely in Australia. One of his closest friends was the Australian painter and gallerist Carl Plate. Monster and Colossus is a narrative based on letters between Taktsis and his Australian friends Carl and Jocelyn, by their daughter Cassi. Cassi Plate will be interviewed by George Alexander an artist, writer and academic. He worked at the Art Gallery of NSW.
3.00 – 3:45pm
PETER PAPATHANASIOU | THE STONING
This is the Sydney launch of The Stoning, biologist Peter Papathanasiou’s debut crime novel. A work of outback noir, it begins with the discovery of the stoning of a woman. Enter George Manolis, a Greek-Australian detective sent to solve the murder. The novel has enjoyed oustanding reviews here and overseas. Set in a fictitious outback town with an immigration detention centre, it explores the issues surrounding Australia’s immigration policies and racism. Peter has worked at ANU, Stanford, New York University and Imperial College London. His first book, the memoir Little One(2019), is being adapted to the screen and so is the Stoning. The novel has been nominated for literary awards both here and in the UK including the Crime Writer’s Association prestigious Gold Dagger and New Blood Dagger. He will discuss these and more with the Writer’s Festival director, Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos.
4.00 – 4:45 pm
GEORGE PAXINOS / A RIVER DIVIDED
Internationally renowned scientist Professor George Paxinos is an environmental activist and his eco-fiction debut novel explores the battle between humans and nature that threatens our planet’s survival. George has published 57 scientific books including the most cited work in neuroscience and third most cited in all the sciences, and has worked at the world’s top universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Stanford, UCLA and UNSW. When a two thousand year old ossuary containing a crucified man’s bones is found near Masada, his DNA is cloned to produce two men who grow up on opposite sides of the world and clash in the Amazon on opposite sides of the climate change debate. Nature or nurture? Do we need a Messiah to save the planet? George will be interviewed by editor Kiriaki Orfanos.
THE VENUE:
The venue has a fascinating historical past. It was established as the Prince Henry Hospital in 1881 in response to a smallpox outbreak and became NSW’s first hospital for infectious diseases. It closed in 2003. There are many spaces to sit and ponder on the site. There will be water, coffee and food available and books to buy and have signed.
Prince Henry Centre, 2 Coast Hospital Rd, Little Bay
Free event, registrations necessary
10am-5pm
Sunday 12 June
Greek-Australian Writers’ Festival Tickets, Sun 12/06/2022 at 10:00 am | Eventbrite