Director and Founder: Dr. Helen Vatsikopoulos
Deputy Director: Dr. Vassiliki Veros
Presented by the Greek Festival of Sydney, Francom and UTS Journalism and Writing
The 43rd Greek Festival of Sydney is hosting the Festival of Greek-Australian Writers to showcase books and authors telling Greek stories. The biggest Greek-Australian Writer’s Festival, with parallel sessions and the launching of two new books. Works presented will include contemporary storytelling, photography books, retelling of Greek mythology, memoirs, and a study in psychology.
The 45-minute sessions will include questions from the audience.
Books will be on sale and authors available for signings.
Parallel sessions: 10.00 am – 10.45 am
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THE MOTHER MUST DIE by Koraly Dimitriadis ‘Broken people finding their way back to hope’ – Koraly Dimitriadis’ first short story collection takes us into the minds of those who are disenfranchised, troubled and trying to break free from traditions and expectations. In conversation with journalist Mikala Theocharous. |
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DELPHI by Karen Martin Delphi straddles history and mythology. The sequel to Dancing the Labyrinth which won the the Eyelands Book Award Self Publishing category in 2024. Delphi is part of the thematic series Women Unveiled, which blends myth, history and imagination in the telling of stories. Inspired by ancient Greece it answers questions for today’s women. In conversation with academic and journalist Dr Phil Kafcaloudes. |
Parallel sessions: 11.00 am – 11.45 am
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MATIA by EmilyTsokos Purtill. A matrilineal novel of love in four generations of a Greek-Australian family. In 1945, Sia migrated to Perth carrying four prophesies from a fortune teller and four evil eye charms. The narrative weaves between Greece, Perth and New York spanning 125 years. Emily Tsokos Purtill is a lawyer, writer and recipient of the Tim Winton Award for Outstanding Achievement and twice has won the Katharine Susannah Prichard Award for Young Writers. This is her debut novel. In conversation with book editor Kiriaki Orfanos. |
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WE COULD BE SOMETHING by Will Kostakis A multi-generational story about coming out and falling in love all within the warm embrace of an extended Greek family. We Could Be Something won the 2024 Prime Minister’s Prize for Young Adult Fiction. In conversation with award winning author Peter Polites. |
12.00 pm Book Launch
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PATRIMONIES: ESSAYS ON GENERATIONAL THINKING by George Kouvaros. Is a patrimony something we inherit or something we create? Does it mark the continuation of the past or its disappearance? Weaving elements of memoir, criticism and cultural history, the essays gathered in Patrimonies address the questions: How do we take from and give back to those who came before? How have their actions and choices left their mark on us? George Kouvaros is Professor of Film Studies at the School of Arts and Media at UNSW. His previous book was The Old Greeks: Cinema, Photography, Migration. Launched by and in conversation with Dr Andonis Piperoglou, Hellenic Senior Lecturer in Global Diasporas at Melbourne University. |
Lunch break | 1.00 pm – 2.00 pm
A light lunch will be provided. Take this opportunity to browse books on sale and speak with authors
2.00 pm - 2.45 pm
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JOHN BERGER AND ME by Nikos Papastergiadis The eminent Australian sociologist Nikos Papastergiadis recalls his relationship with the late English writer and art critic John Berger. The memoir is both a portrait of their friendship and an account of the work of his former mentor, one which combines Berger’s abiding interest in migrants and migration with Papastergiadis’s reflections on his own family’s experience of migration. It draws on personal memories, the author’s deep knowledge of Berger’s work and anecdotes of life in the village and beyond. In conversation with Professor George Kouvaros. |
3.00 pm - 3.45 pm Book Launch
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HYDRA IN WINTER by Shelley Dark. In Hydra in Winter, Dark sets off for her husband’s ancestral island in search of the story of Ghikas Voulgaris, one of seven Hydriot pirates captured and sent to Australia as convicts in the early 1800s. What begins as a historical quest also becomes a lesson in slow travel—walking Hydra’s hills, delighting in Greek seafood and wine, and meeting the relaxed and ever-hospitable locals. Her sojourn on Hydra later sparked a much longer research journey, taking her to Malta, Portsmouth, the Kew Archives in London, and Ireland to further investigate the pirate for her historical novel about the pirate, Son of Hydra, due for publication in 2025. In conversation with Festival Director Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos. |
Parallel sessions 4.00 pm - 4.45 pm
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THE DOPAMINE BRAIN by Dr Anastasia Hronis A scientific explanation on why we struggle to balance pleasure and purpose. Blame it on Dopamine, the brain’s neurotransmitter released by sex, gambling, drugs, eating and shopping. Includes case studies and the latest research in neuroscience and psychology. Dr Anastasia Hronis is a Clinical Psychologist and lecturer and research supervisor at the University of Technology Sydney. In conversation with journalist Helen Tzarim |
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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Closing session 5.00 pm - 5.45 pm
BOOKS THAT MADE ME: MY FAVOURITE GREEK STORIES
Festival guest writers will discuss their favourite Greek-language or Greek-themed books.
Which is your favourite Greek story? Either written by a Greek or Greek-Austalian author or about a Greek or Greek-Australian theme.
Was it a fiction or factual?
How did it influence your sense of identity or belonging?
As the final event of the writer’s festival, we invite the audience members to join our conversation as to the Greek stories that influenced them throughout their lives.
Facilitated by Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos
