Dr Nick Trakakis will give a seminar on Thursday, May 30 at the Greek Centre in Melbourne on the late poet Tasos Leivaditis.
Leivaditis (1922-88) is one of the greatest poets of the first post-war generation. He was born and raised in Athens and from a young age he showed interest in both poetry and politics. His political ideas and his involvement in the National Liberation Front (EAM) during World War II led to his arrest and imprisonment.
With the escalation of the civil war in June 1948, he was arrested and exiled to Moudros. From 1948 to 1952, he was exiled for his political beliefs to Lemnos, Ai Stratis, and Makronisos, along with other left-wing artists and intellectuals, such as Yannis Ritsos, Aris Alexandrou, and Manos Katrakis.
He was released in late 1951, and immediately after, he made his poetic debut, vividly expressing the horror of war and the longing for justice and peace. In 1952, his poetry collections “Battle at the Edge of the Night” and “This Star is for All of Us” were published. The following year, his poetry collection “It Blows at the Crossroads of the World” won the first poetry prize at the World Youth Festival in Warsaw.
From 1954 to 1967, he worked at the newspaper “I Avgi” as a poetry critic, while simultaneously creating a rich body of poetic work that speaks directly to the souls and collective memory of the Class. He is the one who spoke about friendship, love, relationships in general, and struggle. He described in the most free and real way the interaction of emotion and resistance. Ultimately, he is the poet of Love and Revolution.
Dr Trakakis’ seminar will offer an overview of Leivaditis’ life, as well as an introduction to his most important works.
Bio
Dr Nick Trakakis teaches philosophy at the Australian Catholic University, and also writes and translates poetry. His translations of Tasos Leivaditis’ work include “The Blind Man with the Lamp” (Denise Harvey Publications, 2014), “Violets for a Season” (Red Dragonfly Press, 2017), “Autumn Manuscripts” (Smokestack Books, 2020, joint winner of the NSW Premier’s Translation Prize), and “Night Visitor” (Human Side Press, 2023).
Event details:
- When: Thursday 30 May 2024, 7pm
- Speaker: Dr Nick Trakakis
- SEMINAR: Tasos Leivaditis: Poet of Revolutions and Sunsets
- Where: Greek Centre (Mezzanine, 168 Lonsdale St, Melbourne)
- Entry: Free
- SPONSOR: Hellenic Writers’ Association of Australia
