Synopsis

Dimitris Tsaloumas’ paramount importance within the pantheon of Greek-Australian letters could never be over-stated. He won most of Australia’s major state and national awards for poetry during his lifetime and enjoyed the rare distinction of his poetry books selling out, necessitating subsequent editions. He enjoyed prestigious residencies at Oxford and Cambridge universities, as well as being invited to give a plethora of poetry readings the world over. Moreover, it has given me immense satisfaction to perceive a greater appreciation of his work in his native Greece, as exemplified by the recent tribute in the Koralli literary journal – an award-winning Athens based publication with an extensive readership. Although every single poetry collection is memorable, it is his early publication, The House with the Eucalypts, that holds an especial place in my heart, and which will form a central point of reference in this presentation. After journeying through the depiction of women in this collection, and the intricate interplay of memory and dislocation in creating images of haunting intensity, I will meander through my own recollections of visiting Tsaloumas at his home in Elwood, during his writer-in-residence time in England and, finally at his beloved home in Leros, Greece.

Bio

Dr Konstandina Dounis is an award-winning educator, author and literary translator, currently working within the Monash Education Academy at Monash University. Greek-Australian literature, history and culture has been the axis around which her research has revolved. Her doctoral thesis, The Shadow and the Muse, entails extensive forays into unearthing immigrant women’s texts, examining their propensity to challenge historically entrenched perspectives relating to gender-based invisibility. Her most recent translation, from Greek to English, is Litsa Nikolopoulou-Gogas’ memoir, Moments of Truth (Australian Scholarly Publishing). She has published widely within her areas of interest; the chapter ‘Poetry and Post-War Immigration from Europe’, in The Cambridge History of Australian Poetry and the monograph A New History of Greek-Australian Literature both in press and forthcoming in 2024

How to Participate

This is an in-person only event, so please join us at the Greek Centre, on Level M.

See our speaker live, ask questions during the Q&A and hobnob with fellow participants before and after the event.

We look forward to seeing you there.