Cretan Canadian Poet, Author, Translator, Publisher
Author: vequinox
BIOGRAPHY
Manolis (Emmanuel Aligizakis) is a Greek-Canadian poet and author. He was recently appointed an honorary instructor and fellow of the International Arts Academy, and awarded a Master’s for the Arts in Literature. He is recognized for his ability to convey images and thoughts in a rich and evocative way that tugs at something deep within the reader. Born in the village of Kolibari on the island of Crete in 1947, he moved with his family at a young age to Thessaloniki and then to Athens, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Sciences from the Panteion University of Athens. After graduation, he served in the armed forces for two years and emigrated to Vancouver in 1973, where he worked as an iron worker, train labourer, taxi driver, and stock broker, and studied English Literature at Simon Fraser University. He has written three novels and numerous collections of poetry, which are steadily being released as published works. His articles, poems and short stories in both Greek and English have appeared in various magazines and newspapers in Canada, United States, Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Australia, and Greece. His poetry has been translated into Spanish, Romanian, Swedish, German, Hungarian languages and has been published in book form or in magazines in various countries. He now lives in White Rock, where he spends his time writing, gardening, traveling, and heading Libros Libertad, an unorthodox and independent publishing company which he founded in 2006 with the mission of publishing literary books. His translation book “George Seferis-Collected Poems” was shortlisted for the Greek National Literary Awards the highest literary recognition of Greece.
Distinguished Awards
Winner of the Dr. Asha Bhargava Memorial Award, Writers International Network Canada, 2014
“George Seferis-Collected Poems” translated by Manolis, shortlisted for the Greek National Literary Awards, translation category.
1st International Poetry Prize for his translation of “George Seferis-Collected Poems”, 2013
Master of the Arts in Literature, International Arts Academy, 2013
1st Prize for poetry, 7th Volos poetry Competition, 2012
Honorary instructor and fellow, International Arts Academy, 2012
2nd Prize for short story, Interartia festival, 2012
2nd Prize for Poetry, Interartia Festival, 2012
2nd Prize for poetry, Interartia Festival, 2011
3rd prize for short stories, Interartia Festival, 2011
Books by Manolis
Autumn Leaves, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, 2014
Übermensch/Υπεράνθρωπος, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, 2013
Mythography, paintings and poetry, Libros Libertad, 2012
Nostos and Algos, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, 2012
Vortex, poetry, Libros Libertad, 2011
The Circle, novel, Libros Libertad, 2011
Vernal Equinox, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, 2011
Opera Bufa, poetry, Libros Libertad, 2010
Vespers, poetry by Manolis paintings by Ken Kirkby, Libros Libertad, 2010
Triptych, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, 2010
Nuances, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, 2009
Rendition, poetry, Libros Libertad, 2009
Impulses, poetry, Libros Libertad, 2009
Troglodytes, poetry, Libros Libertad, 2008
Petros Spathis, novel, Libros Libertad, 2008
El Greco, poetry, Libros Libertad, 2007
Path of Thorns, poetry, Libros Libertad, 2006
Footprints in Sandstone, poetry, Authorhouse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2006
The Orphans - an Anthology, poetry, Authorhouse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2005
Translations by Manolis
Idolaters, a novel by Joanna Frangia, Libros Libertad, 2014
Tasos Livaditis-Selected Poems, Libros Libertad, 2014
Yannis Ritsos-Selected Poems, Ekstasis Editions, 2013
Cloe and Alexandra-Selected Poems, Libros Libertad, 2013
George Seferis-Collected Poems, Libros Libertad, 2012
Yannis Ritsos-Poems, Libros Libertad, 2010
Constantine P. Cafavy - Poems, Libros Libertad, 2008
Cavafy-Selected Poems, Ekstasis Editions, 2011
Books in other languages
Eszmelet, (Hungarian), poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated into Hungarian by Karoly Csiby, AB-ART, Bratislava, Slovakia, 2014
Hierodoules, (Greek), poetry, Sexpirikon, Salonica, Greece, 2014
Yperanthropos,(Greek), poetry, ENEKEN Publications, Salonica, Greece, 2014
Übermensch (German), poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated into German by Eniko Thiele Csekei, WINDROSE, Austria, 2014
Nostos si Algos, (Romanian) poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated into Romanian by Lucia Gorea, DELLART, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2013
Tolmires Anatasis, (Greek) poetry, GAVRIILIDIS EDITIONS, Athens, Greece, 2013
Filloroes, (Greek ) poetry, ENEKEN PUBLICATIONS, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2013
Earini Isimeria, (Greek) poetry, ENEKEN PUBLICATIONS, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2011
Stratis o Roukounas, (Greek) novel, MAVRIDIS EDITIONS, Athens, Greece, 1981
Magazines
Canadian Fiction Magazine—Victoria, BC
Pacific Rim Review of Books—Victoria, BC
Canadian Poetry Review—Victoria, BC
Monday Poem, Leaf Press-Lantzville, BC
The Broadkill Review, Milton, Delaware
Ekeken, Thessaloniki, Greece
Envolimon, Beotia, Greece
Annual Literary Review, Athens, Greece
Stigmes, Crete, Greece
Apodimi Krites, Crete, Greece
Patris, Crete, Greece
Nyxta-Mera, Chania, Greece
Wallflowers, Thessaloniki, Greece
Diasporic Literature Spot, Melbourne, Australia
Black Sheep Dances, California, USA
Diasporic Literature Magazine, Melbourne, Australia
Spotlight on the Arts, Surrey, BC
Barnwood, International Poetry Magazine, Seattle, USA
Unrorean, University of Maine, Farmington, Maine, USA
Vakhikon, Athens, Greece
Paremvasi, Kozani, Greece
Szoros Ko, Bratislava, Slovakia
Mediterranean Poetry, Sweden
Apostaktirio, Athens, Greece
Life and Art, Athens, Greece
Logos and Images, Athens, Greece
Contemporary Writers and Thinkers, Athens, Greece
Palinodiae, Athens, Greece
Royal City Poet’s Anthology, 2013, New Westminster, BC, Canada
To parathyro, Paris, France
Ragazine C.C, New Jersey
Artenistas, Athens Greece
Deucalion the Thessalos, Greece.
Literary Lectern, Athens, Greece
Homo Universalis, Athens Greece
Troubadour Troubadour tunes chords chime on the listening wall of loneliness clouds attend flimsily just enough to grasp a few notes the red ‘do’ or the shrouded ‘mi’ when the blue eyes of her highness shed brackish tears dubious fidelity as the amorphous grasps a shape a headless idol while crusader sharpens his command and sword another head served on a blasphemous altar son of man exiled leaves ravenous void
I Want You ‘Now’ Now, here, next to me! I don’t want you to come tomorrow. I don’t want you to tell me what time you’ll come. I want you to come in the night and ring the doorbell, suddenly, when I’m asleep. Without me knowing it! Unexpectedly! To come and ring the bell and as I would open the door half asleep and startled you’ll slip under my blankets and I would never wake up until morning and in your arms. I want to wake up and smell the fragrance of your cologne when you shave in the bathroom. You’ll kiss me as you leave and I shall go back to the unravelled bed sheets. I’ll hear the door close behind you I’ll smile as if I’m in a dream, while I would still be asleep. And when I get up hours later not to know whether it was a dream or reality that I dreamed or I truly experienced all this.
“That’s all, Dad. We’re not going out anywhere, I promise.” “Fine. Give Lyssa’s clothes back to her. Now sit down and let’s get started before everything gets cold. All right, Bobby, go ahead.” Once again they joined hands around the table and bowed their heads for Bobby’s shortened grace. ͣͣ With the twins settled in their beds – but not without complaining that it was still light outside – Tyne returned to the kitchen to pour two cups of freshly brewed coffee. She added fresh cream and carried them outside to where Morley sat on the porch swing. “Where’s Bobby?” Tyne asked as she handed him a mug and sat down beside him. “Doing a final round in the barn and taking Sparky for a run.” Tyne sighed. “Poor old Sparky. I don’t think he’ll be with us much longer, do you?” Morley took a sip of coffee and shook his head in the negative. “No, I’m afraid not. He’s lived longer than most big dogs live. But he’s not suffering, just losing energy and his zest for life.” Tyne placed her hand on Morley’s where it lay on his knee. “It will break Bobby’s heart when Sparky dies. They’ve been inseparable since the day I brought the kids home for what was supposed to be a temporary stay with us.” She laughed lightly with the memory. Morley took her hand in his big one and squeezed it. “Almost ten years ago. Can you believe it? I sometimes wonder how we did it all with everything that went wrong that first year.” Tyne smiled and turned her head to kiss him on his stubbled cheek. “You know how we did it. Only with prayer and God’s faithful guidance.” They sat quietly for a few minutes as the swing moved gently back and forth. The only sounds were the familiar bawl of a calf in the barn, and from the chicken house close by, the rising and falling murmur of
Cougar The Circle H Ranch Willow Springs, Montana It was noon the next day by the time Joel returned to the ranch from Cindy’s place. Fortunately, it was a Sunday and there were not any plans for work. Thanks to the foresight of his father, the pastures were configured so that they had their own natural springs that continued to run even in the driest years, so there was lots of good grass in the fields for his equine friends to feast on. After a lovely breakfast with Cindy, Joel had bid her goodbye, leaving Cindy to retrieve little Lila from her grandmother’s care. The day went by quickly, and other than a little clean up around the yard, including firing up the lawn mower, cutting the grass around the house, and watering the flowers, Joel spent most of the day reveling in the activities of the previous night—and what a night it had been! As he climbed into his own bed, he could still smell the fragrance of Cindy on his skin. He was thinking that he may never shower again, and then Joel pleasantly drifted off to sleep with memories of the previous night dancing in his mind. The scream could only be described as blood curdling. He had never heard anything like it before. He woke in an instant and was soon joined in the bedroom by Buddy, who was so terrified that he was shaking. There the scream was again. Joel didn’t know what it was, but he sure didn’t like it. As he climbed into his jeans and threw on his shirt, he didn’t have a clue of what he was about
Part of the newspaper unfolded like an umbrella in the rain; a squeezed piece of paper like a human heart. What I do frightens me but what I don’t do tyrannizes me; (we share pain along with things like the garbanzo beans during the Saint Marina’s celebration.) A piece of paper I placed in the wet ditch and now I stretch it on my knee to become like an ironed shirt that even if the by chance word you wrote once was forever erased.
Translucent Restless wind ally of rocky monsters let reasons be learned and fear vanish from my child’s heart that only you remain by my side a jester who believed in games result of the abstract I am in your incessant longing destined for movement grafting my measure of joy and festive adornment of your eternal beauty, oh, tree top dance upon the shining rays sometimes jealous of your reflection upon the laughter of the sea
– There’s something about these chips, Mr. Cameron says. – Not as good, are they? Mrs. Cameron agrees. Aren’t as crunchy as ours. – Nowhere near, Reggie Cameron replies. He extends an open hand for further testing. In the back seat, Larry lifts a buttock and releases a burst of sharp anal burps. He elbows me and says, Do your parents allow you to behave this way at home? The postman reported seeing a naked woman in the park. Later she was spotted atop the Kennedys’ garage. She twisted her ankle in the jump. A crowd gathered. – Get the butterfly net! someone cackled. It’s escaped again! Almost everyone laughed. After the ambulance had left and the looky-loos dispersed, Mrs. Cameron knocked on our door. Kids had nicknamed her Meat on account of her bulk. Camping will do the boy good, she told my dad. The two of them sat on the stairs watching her Reg give the Impala a good scrubbing. He buffed the chrome until it gleamed. – I used to be a little nutty myself, she said. We got one of the last campsites at Oceanview Resorts in Birch Bay. Mr. Cameron pitched a family-size tent while Mrs. Cameron barbecued some burgers. Larry and I erected a nylon pup tent. – If I get any broads in here, Larry said, you’ll have to take a walk. We lifted our bicycles from the roof rack and took a spin. Some of the other vacationers had motorhomes and vans, but many, like the Camerons, were sleeping under canvas. Most vehicles at the campsite bore Canuck plates. After lunch we drove into town. Birch Bay consists of a smattering of stores and clapboard cottages facing Juan de Fuca Strait. Droves of oiled tourists fanned out on the sand. The main road was clogged with slow-moving cars blasting loud music. Well it’s been building up inside of me For oh I don’t know how long . . . We parked the car and fell in with the procession of shoppers.
Night The invisible mountain range at a distance I stand in the black frame of the door and call the name of God in the snowstorm of stars amid the diaphanous shadow of people who sleep and die in the wilderness which recasts my voice into thousands of voices Where did they all go leaving me here to stare at my empty palms to keep company to silence and rain? Deeply grieved up to the point of death I see the desolate sky and I salute a big cloud and I am like a sad little lamb that they left alone in the dark valley Oh God why have they all left from my side? In my ripped clothes I have a tender heart made of birds and flowers (How many nights I cried secretly for the wound of the butterfly) Let all leave Let all leave I will again stay opposite the wide sky opposite the great sea without bitterness and grumble and I shall sing Let all leave The more I stay alone the closer to people I get the closer I am to God