Very often and for a long time I have thought of writing to Neos Kosmos to acknowledge, congratulate and thank everybody involved in preparing and presenting its English Edition. For one reason or other, however, I never had done it, because of work commitments.

Reading Fotis Kapetopoulos’ article on Christos Tsiolkas, A daring writer with insight I had to do it. I’ve read it several times!

I have even photocopied it to give it to my Greek Language and Culture students here at the Hellenic Club.

As a Cultural Advisor to the Hellenic Club of Canberra in 2002 I had organised a number of cultural activities under the title The Spirit of Us – February A Month of Celebration aimed in acknowledging and celebrating the talents of young Australia born Greeks in the Australian Capital and its surrounding districts.

The activities culminated to a gala night which was attended by more than 600 people during of which the documentary The Spirit of Us was screened – An anthology of interviews with people born in the region of all walks of life about their cultural background and how it shaped their characters.

We often hear and see articles on Ellinomatheia. In my view the only way to achieve this is to try to discover and acknowledge the Tsiolkas’s and Kapetopoulos’s of Australia who through their work make people of same background feel proud and happy of their heritage and I am sure that Ellinomatheia will be the happy by-product of this.

My best wishes and sincere thanks to you personally and to all involved in the English Edition of Neos Kosmos.

Keep up your excellent work which I am sure it is appreciated not only by your peer group but also by people of my generation, migrants of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

We are very proud of your achievements and dedication to maintaining and promoting our culture in your unique Australian-Greek way.

Michael Kazan
Cultural Advisor, The Hellenic Club of Canberra