Antigone Kefala
Encyclopedia
Antigone Kefala is a contemporary Australia
n poet and prose-writer of Greek-Romania
n heritage. She has also been a teacher, and a member of the Literature Board of the Australia Council
.
Born in Brăila
, Romania
in 1935, Antigone Kefala and family moved to Greece
and then New Zealand
after World War II
. Having studied French Literature
at Victoria University
, she relocated to Australia in 1960. There she has taught English as a second language and worked as a university and arts administrator. Her poetry and prose is written in both Greek
and English
, with Absence: New and Selected Poems reissued in a second edition in 1998. Her work is characterised by an austere allusiveness unusual in Australian poetry. Aside from Greek and English it has been translated into Czech
and French
.
Prose fiction
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n poet and prose-writer of Greek-Romania
Greeks in Romania
There has been a Greek presence in Romania for at least 27 centuries. At times, as during the Phanariote era, this presence has amounted to hegemony; at other times , the Greeks have simply been one among the many ethnic minorities in Romania.-Ancient and Medieval Period:The Greek presence in what...
n heritage. She has also been a teacher, and a member of the Literature Board of the Australia Council
Australia Council
The Australia Council, informally known as the Australia Council for the Arts, is the official arts council or arts funding body of the Government of Australia.-Function:...
.
Born in Brăila
Braila
Brăila is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County, in the close vicinity of Galaţi.According to the 2002 Romanian census there were 216,292 people living within the city of Brăila, making it the 10th most populous city in Romania.-History:A...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
in 1935, Antigone Kefala and family moved to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and then New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Having studied French Literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
at Victoria University
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
, she relocated to Australia in 1960. There she has taught English as a second language and worked as a university and arts administrator. Her poetry and prose is written in both Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, with Absence: New and Selected Poems reissued in a second edition in 1998. Her work is characterised by an austere allusiveness unusual in Australian poetry. Aside from Greek and English it has been translated into Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
Works
Poetry- The Alien (Makar Press: 1973)
- Thirsty Weather (Outback: 1978)
- European Notebook (Hale & Iremonger: 1988)
- Absence: New and selected poems (Sydney, Hale & Iremonger: 1992, 2nd ed. 1998)
Prose fiction
- The First Journey (Wild & WoolleyWild & WoolleyWild & Woolley is an Australian book publisher founded in 1974 by Michael Wilding and Pat Woolley. The first books published by the firm were Zimmer's Essay and Wrappings by Vicki Viidikas....
: 1975) - The Island (Hale & Iremonger: 1984)
- Summer visit: Three Novellas (GiramondoGiramondo PublishingGiramondo Publishing is an Australian small press. It is a publisher of Australian literary writing and also published HEAT magazine until its closure in 2011....
, 2003) - Sydney Journals (Giramondo, 2008) ISBN 978-1-920882-41-9
External links
- 3 poems with GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
translations in GangwayGangway (magazine)Gangway is an international online literary magazine, bridging Austria and Australia. Its founder and editor in chief is Gerald Ganglbauer, the first issue was launched in June 1996 in Sydney.- Profile :...
#1 - "Journal II" prose poem in GangwayGangway (magazine)Gangway is an international online literary magazine, bridging Austria and Australia. Its founder and editor in chief is Gerald Ganglbauer, the first issue was launched in June 1996 in Sydney.- Profile :...
#18 - "Alexia: Antigone Kefala's overdue fairytale" by Michael Tsianikas