Greek Australian Writers' Festival
About
Celebrate the power of storytelling at the inaugural Greek Australian Writers' Festival, hosted by Helen Vatsikopoulos, Kay Pavlou and Sophie Diamandi.Across six sessions exploring a variety of genres, a spectrum of writers will discuss their latest works, creative practice and the experiences that shape their writing. A special keynote session centres around The Odyssey, to explore the enduring influence of Greek history, mythology, landscape and identity.
Featuring acclaimed authors, artists, academics and cultural voices. the festival celebrates the many ways Greek Australian stories continue to be written, shared and reimagined today.
Light refreshments provided. Bookings essential for catering purposes.
The Authors:
Nick Seindanis was born in Port Pirie to Greek parents. He studied Psychology and History at Flinders University, returned home to a variety of senior roles at the BHAS Smelter. Proud of his Greek heritage, he compiled the HISTORY OF GREEKS IN PORT PIRIE: celebrating 100 plus years.
Elena Carapetis is a Greek Australian NIDA graduate, award-winning actor, playwright, screenwriter and director. Her tri-lingual play THE GODS OF STRANGERS (in Greek, Italian and English), set in her home town of Port Pirie, was staged in 2018 at the State Theatre Company of South Australia.
Andrew Pippos is of Greek heritage. His first novel, LUCKY'S, based on his family’s Greek café, was shortlisted for the 2021 Miles Franklin literary award. Andrew teaches Writing and Publishing at UTS. His most recent novel, TRANFORMATIONS, follows a Greek Australian journalist in the shifting world of print media.
Luka Lesson is an Australian writer, spoken word performer and cultural changemaker of Greek heritage. Australian Poetry Slam Champion in 2011, he has written and performed in Australia, Greece, South Africa and China. ODYSSEUS is Luka’s ground-breaking theatrical retelling of Homer's epic, fusing ancient Greek storytelling with contemporary hip-hop, spoken word and performed with a live orchestra and choir.
Dr Emlyn Dodd is a Greek and Roman archaeologist and a leading expert in ancient Mediterranean agriculture, wine and olive oil. Amongst his academic articles is THE PALAIOPYRGOS TOWER ON PAROS (CYCLADES): INVESTIGATING GREEK RURAL LANDSCAPES
Greek Consul Dr. Alexandra Theodoropoulou promotes stronger bilateral ties, supporting initiatives such as an Adelaide – Athens sister-city relationship. She has published many academic articles including, ELEUSIS, THE SEEDS OF LIFE: A PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNEY
Petra Kalive Award-winning director, performer and arts leader Petra, is the Artistic Director of State Theatre Company of South Australia. A former Associate Director at Melbourne Theatre Company, she has often drawn on her Greek heritage in her creative works, such as directing the acclaimed production TAXITHI – AN ODYSSEY.
Effy Alexakis has been a professional photographer for several decades, and during this time has been combing her skills with historian Leonard Janiszewski for a specific task: Recording and documenting the history of Greeks in Australia. Both lecturers at Macquarie University their most well known publication is GREEK CAFES & MILK BARS of Australia.
Dr Anastasia Hronis is a Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer and Research Supervisor at UTS. Her research focuses on the psychology of addictions. THE DOPAMINE BRAIN explains why and how dopamine-driven behaviours create harm and shows how to create change.
Maria Andreas was born in Adelaide to parents from Cyprus. Maria has had various roles in Education and Health, working with migrants and refugees. After teaching in an Aboriginal Community in the Kimberleys for seven years, she has written an emotional memoir, OLD WOMAN ROCK. Maria explores what 'country' means to the Aboriginal community in comparison to her Cypriot heritage and falls in love with a traditional bushman.
Andrea Johns, born in Cyprus, endured many hardships while travelling around Australia with her father. Taken out of school at 13, married at 16 and a mother at 17. Surviving the 1974 war in Cyprus, she was evacuated to London, where she spent two years trying to return to her beloved Australia. Her limited education did not deter her from documenting her life’s journey in LIKE A DANDELION IN THE WIND.
Constantinos Emmanuelle is a Melbourne-based Australian artist, author, educator and cultural historian. He is the founder of the internationally recognised TALES OF CYPRUS, dedicated to preserving the memories, photographs and oral histories of twentieth-century Cyprus and its diaspora. Emmanuelle is the author of several books on Cypriot history and has taught art and graphic design for more than 25 years.
The Moderators/Interviewers
Chrisanthi Giotis, lecturer in journalism at the University of South Australia and a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Media Transition at the UTS, Sydney. Her interdisciplinary approach seeks to understand how journalism can help communities thrive.
Emerita Professor Martha Augoustinos, Psychology at Adelaide University. She focuses on social psychology, discursive psychology, the analysis of racism and has contributed extensively to understanding how prejudice operates in everyday language and social interaction.
The Greek Australian Writers Festival of Adelaide Team:
Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos, born in Greece, grew up in Adelaide. An Walkley Award winning journalist, her career spans 30 years, having worked on ABC News, 7.30 report, Dateline, Lateline and Foreign Correspondent. From 2011, Helen taught journalism at UTS in Sydney. Artistic director of the Greek-Australian Writers' Festival, Adelaide, she has led the Sydney version for five years.
Sophie Diamandi, born in Adelaide, to Greek Cypriot parents. Sophie is a social worker with more than 30 years’ experience as a counsellor, consultant, mentor and social work academic at several universities. Sophie is an Executive Board Member of the Greek Orthodox Community of SA (GOCSA), Chair of the Cultural Committee, GOCSA and artistic director of Odyssey Festival.
Kay Pavlou, born in Adelaide, to Greek Cypriot parents. Kay is an acclaimed film and TV director, writer and producer. Her documentaries Two Homelands and Cyprus – A People Divided focus on her Cypriot heritage. For television, she has written and directed for: Who Do You Think You Are?; Back In Time For The Corner Shop; Race To London. For drama: Mcleod’s Daughters. She is deputy director of the Greek Australian Writers' Festival, Adelaide.
Date
Saturday 17 October 2026 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM (UTC+09:30)Location
Olympic Hall
288 Franklin Street, Adelaide SA 5000
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Greek Australian Writers' Festival
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