Helen Nickas celebrated 20 years of publishing literary books by Greek Australian poets and writers last Sunday at The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne.
Ms Nickas – through her Owl Publishing venture – has been publishing literary books since 1992 with the aim being “to nurture, study, translate and disseminate Greek-Australian literature.”
Owl’s books include major names in Greek-Australian literature, as well as emerging writers in anthologies.
At last week’s event her own book – under her full name, Eleni Frangouli-Nickas – titled Athina and her Daughters: a memoir of two worlds (in English and Greek editions) was launched by Joy Damousi, Professor of History at The University of Melbourne.
The memoir is a migrant story, which focuses on the lives of ordinary women and their journey through the big events in Greek history, including migration. By concentrating on the women of her family, the author gives them a voice they would not otherwise have had.
Professor Damousi, whose recent books and research projects concentrate on women, war, memory and trauma, finds such literary books a rich source for her historical research.