The Sikinos Association organizes for the first time this year the cycle of events “Poetry Days in Sikinos”, choosing to dedicate three days to poetry and dress them up with music, readings, discussions and children’s games about poetry, so that children can also be introduced to it the magical world. On the three days of August 22-24, 2024, the whole of Sikinos will experience “Poetry Days” and the Sikinos Association will make every effort to turn this year’s initiative into an institution.
In this year’s first year, the “Poetry Days” will have strong parental participation, as the festival is organized with the support of the company “Mosaic//Culture and Creativity”, while the poet Nicoletta Katsidimas-Laiou, who has published all of the of her books in “To Dodi” publications. The festival will also feature the poet Eleftheria Thanoglou, who has, among other things, collaborated twice with the composer Giorgos Diplas: in the musical performances “13 seas” and “Only because you loved me” (a tribute to Maria Polydouri – the CD of the same name is released by To Dodi publications.
Nicoletta Katsidimas-Laiou
Sikinos, by common confession, is a “poetic” island. The awesome sunsets from the Winery, the Monastery or the heights of the Castle, the view towards the sea, the picturesque narrows of the old settlements, the endless terraces, the few but clean beaches, the colorful sunrise, everything around gives a poetic mood. If we add to this the bequest of Odysseus Elytis with the small church of Pantochara which he left a wish in his will to be built at this particular spot, then in Sikino they have many good reasons to deal with poetry.
The program of the “Poetry Days” includes an honorary event for Paulina Pamboudi, a concert with Aliki Kayaloglou, poetry readings, a discussion on the relationship between poetry and the internet, an event for children, a screening of a documentary about E. X. Gonatas, a presentation of a reissue of a poetry book about Sikino by Kostas Saitas, outdoor bookshop, as well as service and readings in the small church of Pantochara.
“Poetry Days” are organized under the auspices of the Municipality of Sikinos and with the auspices and financial support of the Ministry of Culture. Communication sponsors are ERT and the Social Network for Books Bookia.
THE PROGRAM
Thursday, August 22
Pantocharas church, 4 p.m
Liturgy in the chapel of Panagia Pantochara which was built with the care of Ioulita Iliopoulos fulfilling the wish of Odysseus Elytis to build a chapel in Sikinos. The poets, musicians, artists and actors of the three days will be present to humbly honor the memory of the great Nobel laureate poet.
Old School, 20.00
“Poetry and children” with Zoe Koskinidou and Kokkini Alepou. A game of words, rhythm and image with assistants valuable books, quite different from each other, such as “Here is a poem that heals fish” by Jean Pierre Simeon, illustrated by Olivier Tallec (published by Little Moon) or “Who wants a cheap rhinoceros ?” by Shel Silverstein (published by Dioptra). How can words come together to create a poem? What are verses, rhyme, rhyme and rhythm? Children get to know the literary genre of poetry through an hour-long game.
Eleftheria Thanoglou
Friday, August 23
Old School, 20.00
Discussion on modern Greek poetry and the role of the internet and social networks in its dissemination. The poets Eleftheria Thanoglou, Nicoletta Katsidima-Laiou, Charitini Xydi and the prose writer and poet Dionysis Marinos will participate. The actress and writer Efi Chalkea is reading. Moderator: Andreas Tsiliras, editor.
Old School, 21.00
Presentation of the re-release of the book “Sikinos – Ethnography” by Kostas Saitas, with a poetic description of events and people from Sikinos in the 1930s. The book is re-released by the Sikinitos Association with the kind grant of its rights by Kostas Saitas’ son, Yiannis , who will attend and talk about his father and the book.
Old School, 21.30
Screening of the documentary by Evi Stefanis “Visits to the house of E.X. Knees.”
Saturday, August 24
Old School 21.00
Honorary event for Paulina Pamboudi. There will be a reading of her poems and a discussion with the honored poet.
Central Square, 22.00
Aliki Kayaloglou reads and sings Alexandros Papadiamantis. A special show with Aliki Kayaloglou to the music of Alki Balta that has been presented in many important venues in Greece and elsewhere. The show is based on short stories by the great Greek short story writer Alexandros Papadiamantis, as well as the original music written by conductor and composer Alkis Baltas, variously setting Mr. Alexander’s lyrics to music. It was presented for the first time in 2002 at the 2nd International Religious Music Festival of Patmos, in the Holy Place of Apocalypse, in 2004 at the Art Theater of Karolos Koon, in Constantinople under the auspices of Patriarch Bartholomew and elsewhere, while it has also been released on CD by the company ” With Athena and her hand moves” by Aliki Kagialoglou. Alexandros Abdeliodis will be on the piano.
Aliki Kayaloglou
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES OF CONTRIBUTORS
He comes from Olympiada Halkidiki and lives in Thessaloniki. He has published the poetry collections: “The five seasons of red” (Pikramenos, 2017, nominated for the “Maria Polydouri” award), “Representation” (Pikramenos 2019), “The death of birds” (AOH 2021) and “The honest liars” (AO, 2023). She participated in collective editions of short stories and collective poetry anthologies from which her poems were translated into English, Italian, Spanish, Albanian and German. Poems and prose have been published in print and online magazines. He has written two theatrical monologues for the musical show “Only because you loved me” (the CD is released by To Doti publications) for Maria Polydouri, as well as poetry set to music for the show “13 Seas”, both with music by Giorgos Next door. He is a member of the Society of Writers of Thessaloniki (ELTH).
Aliki Kayaloglou
He was born in Athens. He initially studied singing as a scholarship student of the Athens Conservatory with Marika Kalsopoulou. He collaborated with two of the most important Greek composers, Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hatzidakis, and recorded their songs in poetry by N. Gatsou, M. Anagnostaki, Eng. Eleftheriou, Elyti Street, etc. Since 1982, he has been giving solo recitals in Greece and abroad (Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, etc.), receiving excellent reviews. In 2002, he founded the production company “Syn Athena ka heira kinei”, with which he publishes CDs and organizes performances, such as “Ancient Tragedy-Attic Comedy” (at the European Center of Delphi), “The Tales of Alice” etc.
She also collaborated with the Third Program of Hellenic Radio as a producer and presenter of the show “Listen to a song, listen to a story”, with stories of Alice and songs of the world. She is also involved in street theater, photography and the creation of short video stories.
Nicoletta Katsidimas – Laiou
He was born and lives in Patras. He studied at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Athens and works as a philologist. To Dodi publishes the collection of short stories “Ta peristeria” (2013) and the poetry collections “Elegion erotos” (2014), “Biographical note” (2016) and “Isalos sinioma” (2024).
Zoe Koskinidou
He is a journalist and creator of the electronic magazine “Red Fox”. He has been writing articles since 2000 in newspapers and magazines and since 2016 he has been writing exclusively about children’s books at kokkinialepou.gr, while he visits schools all over Greece and talks about the importance of reading aloud to children and teenagers.
Dionysis Marinos
He was born in Athens. He is a journalist and literary critic. In recent years he has been teaching creative writing courses. He was a member of the working group for the creation of the lending department of the National Library and for three years he was a member of the State Prize Committee (translated literature). He has written the novels “Lost Bodies” (Tetragono, 2011), “Sky Below” (Papyros, 2014), “Blue Sun” (Metaihmio, 2021) and “San Normal” (Metaihmio, 2024), the short story collections “Last City (Gavriilidis, 2012) and “No matter how this evening comes” (Melani, 2017) and the poetry collections “Anamneza” (Gavriilidis, 2014) and “Never again us” (Melani, 2019), while he has participated in collective works and anthologies.
Charitin Vinegar
He was born in Volos and lives in Athens. He has studied history and archaeology. He appeared in literature with the novel “C-Minor-A Heretical Romance” (Iolkos, 2005). In December 2007, at the 8th Thessaloniki Poetry Festival, three of her poems, included in the collection “Dreams smoke” (Gavriilidis, 2008), were praised by the Union of Writers and Writers of Europe. In the same year, he was awarded the first prize by the Panhellenic Union of Writers for the novella “The Irma of the Demons” (joke). In January 2008, he was awarded first prize by the Writers’ Union of Europe, at the 9th Panhellenic Poetry Festival of Thessaloniki.
Her poetry collections “The Beak” (Code, 2007), “The October Trumpets” (Code, 2007), “The Mistress of Lost Wonders” (Code, 2007), “Heels are burning in the oven” (Wind, 2011), “For Rent” (Gavrielidis, 2015), “Folk and Blues” (Metronomos, 2018), “Little Boy” (Metronomos, 2019) and “The Trains of Dolorosa Street” (Odos Panos, 2022) and the prose works ” Pornography” (Metronomos, 2021) and “Cine Rosa. The rose cinema” (Odos Panos, 2023). Her poems have been published in the newspaper “O Dromos”, in the Literary Magazines: “the word”, “Sodeia”, “Triphyllia Estia”, in the electronic Magazines: “Literary Bistro”, “e-poema”, “24 letters” and in selected websites.
Paulina Pamboudi
He was born in Athens in 1948, where he lives and works. Her origin is from Heraklion, Crete and Chalkida. He graduated from the Philosophical School of Athens (Historical and Archaeological Department), attended courses at ASKT (Higher School of Fine Arts), at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London and Mathematics at the School of Physics and Mathematics. To date, he has published 16 collections of poetry, 6 books of prose, more than 40 books “supposedly” for children and has made more than 20 translations (Lewis Carroll, A.A. Milne, Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot, Robert Stevenson, A. Chekhov, Piotr Yersoff, Mark Twain, Khalil Gibran, R. Doyle, etc.) He has also held three solo exhibitions of paintings, has written several scripts for radio and television, as well as many songs.
He worked as a copywriter in advertising companies and as an editor in a publishing house. Today he is the editor-in-chief of the electronic speech and art magazine “Peri ou” (www.periou.gr). He is a founding member of the Writers’ Society and the Poets’ Circle. Her most recent poetry collections are: “Notes on the unwritten” (Patakis, 2020) and “Night Log” (Roes, 2021) and the most recent non-fiction publication is “Strange and even stranger stories” (Kaleidoscope, 2020) .
Efi Chalkea
He was born and raised in Athens, originally from Sikino. In the 80s she finished her studies in architectural design and decoration at the AKTO school. He worked in this field and today he is a writer of novels and fairy tales. At the same time, she writes articles on Greek websites and participates as an editor of poems in a literary magazine. She is already writing her second book, while her first fairy tale is ready for publication. He loves the theater and as an amateur actor he has taken part in many shows in recent years with the 2nd theater workshop of the Vrilissi municipality, while this year he participated in the series “The Witch” on Ant1.
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