Dr. Giannis Vassilakakos, PhD from the University of Melbourne, former Lecturer in Modern Greek, Interpreting and Translation, and author, currently residing in Melbourne, was hosted in the studio of Voice of Greece.
Dr. Vassilakakos spoke about his participation in the 53rd Book Fair at Pedion tou Areos, about the lecture he will deliver on the topic “Greek-Language Literature of the Diaspora,” and about his wish to see the creation of a library dedicated to books by Greek authors of the Diaspora.
Giannis Vassilakakos has published 26 books – fiction, theatre, essays, short stories, and biographies – some of them in Greece and others in Australia. He was the first non-English-speaking author whose novel, “Ποτέ την Ανάσταση” (Never on Resurrection Sunday) was requested for publication by an Australian publishing house. His works have been translated into English, French, and Chinese, and several of them have become bestsellers and are taught in high schools and universities in Greece, Australia, and other English-speaking countries. At the same time, he has taught Modern Greek Literature for 30 years at Melbourne universities (Deakin University and RMIT University) and has collaborated with numerous publications in Greece and abroad, having written more than 1,000 articles on literary, critical, cultural, and translation-related subjects. He has received seven literary grants from the Australia Council for the Arts of the Federal Government, two university research grants, as well as several literary awards and international distinctions. In 2000, the cultural organizations of the Greek-Australian community awarded him an honorary diploma for his 30 years of contribution to Greek letters.