Celebrating the Poetry of Dimitris Tzoumacas

Celebrating the Poetry of Dimitris Tzoumacas

The Greek Community of Melbourne was delighted to host an event with poet Dimitris Tzoumacas last Sunday at its mezzanine level. This was an event in collaboration with the Greek-Australian Cultural League and the Hellenic Writers’ Association of Australia.

Mr Tzoumacas is no stranger to these shores where he initially migrated to Australian in 1974. He worked as a journalist for Australian newspapers and magazines and taught at the Universities of New South Wales and Macquarie Sydney, while later on he served in the Press Office of the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney. After 2006, he returned to Greece where he took up the role of director of the Journalism Directorate of the General Secretariat of Information (former Press Ministry) until his retirement.

However, it was in Australia where his poetic flair and passion flourished and many of his writings were released. Of these books, Merry Sydney (1998) has been taught at all three tiers of Australia’s education system and the author has been repeatedly honoured with grants from the Australian Arts Council.

The highlight of the event was Dimitris’s impassioned and flamboyant readings of passages of some of his poems – Merry Sydney, The Woman with Thorns in her Neck and ‘Tiger and Chameleon’. His captivating delivery style enthralled those that were present.

At hand were Professor Nikos Papastergiadis, Kostas Karamarkos and Cathy Alexopoulos to provide commentary on Mr Tzoumacas’s work and literary impact.