The Greek Community of Melbourne, in collaboration with the Greek Australian Cultural League are holding a Dimitris Tsaloumas memorial lecture titled “Salvaging Cypriot Greek Migrant Heritage and Memories Through the Poetry of Zeny Giles and Peter Lyssiotis” at the Mezzanine Level of The Greek Centre.

The memories and heritage of Cypriot Greeks, in particular, have historically been recorded through the perspectives of two dominant cultures: a British-centric culture and a Hellenic culture.

The lecture will examine an alternative way to document the Cypriot Greek, Australian-based diaspora by examining the works of Cypriot Greek poets.

Th seminar will spotlight two Cypriot Greek poets and authors, Zeny Giles and Peter Lyssiotis, who have filled the gaps in the archives with their poetry.

Since the 1980s, both poets have received awards and literary recognition for their creative output.

Their poetry and the underlying philosophy of their writing offer a unique glimpse into the nuanced and significant identity of the Cypriot Greek diaspora.

The discussion will be led by Angela Costi, a distinguished poet and writer with a background in social justice and community arts. Costi is the author of five poetry collections, including “Honey & Salt” (shortlisted for the Mary Gilmore Poetry Prize 2008) and “An Embroidery of Old Maps and New” (winner of the Book Prize for Poetry in English, GACL 2022). She has also crafted nine produced and commissioned plays/performance texts, notably “A Nest of Cinnamon,” which was part of an international collaboration funded by the Australia Council for the Arts.

Costi’s impressive journey includes a travel award from the National Languages and Literacy Board in 1995 to study Ancient Greek Drama in Greece. She is a graduate of Melbourne University and RMIT and received the High Commendation for contribution to Arts and Culture, Merri-bek Award 2021.

For migrants and refugees, especially those reliant on oral storytelling to preserve their existence, there’s a risk that their impact and contributions to Australia’s collective memory may be minimised- an aspect of the discussion that the seminar will focus on.

When: Thursday, September 14, 7pm (Melbourne time)

Where: Greek Centre (Mezzanine, 168 Lonsdale St., Melbourne)

For more information, please contact +61 3 9662 2722 and/or info@greekcommunity.com.au