Emmanuel Aligizakis

Emmanuel Aligizakis

Emmanuel Aligizakis, (Manolis) is a Cretan-Canadian poet and author. He’s the most prolific writer-poet of the Greek diaspora. At the age of eleven he transcribed the nearly 500 year old romantic poem Erotokritos, now released in a limited edition of 100 numbered copies and made available for collectors of such rare books at 5,000 dollars Canadian: the most expensive book of its kind to this day.

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, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Australia, Jordan, Serbia and Greece. His poetry has been translated in Romanian, Swedish, German, Hungarian, Ukrainian, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish, Serbian, Russian, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, 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. In September 2017 he was awarded the First Poetry Prize of the Mihai Eminescu International Poetry Festival, in Craiova, Romania.

 
AWARDS

  • 1st Poetry Prize, Academy of Mihai Eminescu, Craiova, Romania, 2017
  • Distinguished Poet and Writer Award, City of Richmond, BC, 2014
  • 1st Poetry Prize, International Arts Academy for this translation of “Yannis Ritsos- Selected Poems”, 2014
  • 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 Poetry Prize, International Arts Academy, 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

  • THE QUEST, novel, Ekstasis Editions, 2018
  • THE MEDUSA GLANCE, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, spring 2017
  • THE SECOND ADVENT OF ZEUS, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, spring 2016
  • CHTHONIAN BODIES, paintings by Ken Kirkby and poems by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2015
  • IMAGES OF ABSENCE, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, 2015
  • AUTUMN LEAVES, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, 2014
  • ÜBERMENSCH/ΥΠΕΡΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΣ, poetry, Ekstasis Editions, 2013
  • MYTHOGRAPHY, paintings and poems, 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, paintings and poems, 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, poetry, Authorhouse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2005

 
TRANSLATIONS FROM GREEK TO ENGLISH

  • NEO-HELLENE POETS an ANTHOLOGY of MODERN GREEK POETRY 1750-2018, poetry translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Ekstasis Editions and Libros Libertad, 2018
  • KARYOTAKIS–POLYDOURI, The Tragic Love Story, poetry translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2016
  • HOURS OF THE STARS, poetry by Dimitris Liantinis, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2015
  • HEAR ME OUT, short stories, by Tzoutzi Mantzourani, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2015
  • CARESSING MYTHS, poetry by Dina Georgantopoulos, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros libertad, 2015
  • IDOLATERS, a novel by Joanna Frangia, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2014
  • TASOS LIVADITIS-SELECTED POEMS, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2014
  • YANNIS RITSOS-SELECTED POEMS, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Ekstasis Editions, 2013
  • CLOE AND ALEXANDRA-SELECTED POEMS, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2013
  • GEORGE SEFERIS-COLLECTED POEMS, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2012
  • YANNIS RITSOS-POEMS, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2010
  • CONSTANTINE P CAVAFY-POEMS, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2008
  • CAVAFY-SELECTED POEMS, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Ekstasis Editions, 2011

 
TRANSLATIONS FROM ENGLISH TO GREEK

  • DIVINE KISS, poetry by Carolyn Mary Kleefeld, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, CCC Communications-Libros Libertad Publishing, 2018
  • LIGHT IN THE PINENEEDLES, poetry by Karoly Fellinger, translated from English to Greek by Manolis Aligizakis, OSTRIA Publications, Athens, Greece, 2017

 
BOOKS in OTHER LANGUAGES

  • SECOND ADVENT OF ZEUS, (Portuguese) poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated in Portuguese by Eric Ponty, Musa Editora, Sao Paolo, Brazil, 2018
  • ODE TO APHRODITE, (Arabic), poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated in Arabic by Fethi Sassi, Borsa Publishing, Cairo, Egypt, 2018
  • THORNS OF THE ROSE, (Romanian), poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated in Romanian by Tatjana Betoska, Editura Europa, Craiova, Romania, 2017
  • FOGOLY, (Hungarian) novel by Manolis, translated in Hungarian by Karoly Csiby, Parnassus Publications, Bratislava, Hungary, 2017
  • FUILLES D’AUTOMNE, poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated into French by Karoly Sandor Pallai, Editions Du Cygne, Paris, 2017
  • NABORI SEĆANJA, (Serbian) poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated into Serbian by Jolanka Kovacs, Zrenjanin, Serbia, 2016
  • FRUNZE DE TOAMNA, Poetry by Manolis, translated by Lucia Gorea, AB-ART, Romania, 2016
  • OSZI FALEVELEK, (Hungarian), poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated into Hungarian by Karoly Csiby, Gyp, Hungary, 2015
  • SVEST, (Serbian), poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated into Serbian by Jolanka Kovacs, Serbia, 2015
  • ESZMELET, (Hungarian), poetry by Manolis Aligizakis, translated into Hungarian by Karoly Csiby, AB-ART, Bratislava, Slovakia, 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

 
BOOKS IN GREEK

  • THE CIRCLE, novel, (Greek KΥΚΛΟΣ), Korontzis Publicatios, Athens, 2018
  • NOTES OF A WET AUGUST, poetry, (Greek), Korontzis Publications, Athens, 2018
  • THE PRISONER, novel, (Greek), OSTRIA Publications, Athens, Greece, 2017
  • BLUE IN THE WINDOW poetry, (Greek) OSTRIA Publications, Athens, Greece, 2017
  • SECOND ADVENT OF ZEUS, pooetry, (Greek), ENEKEN Publications, Thessaloniki, Greece, spring 2017
  • MEMORIES, poetry, (Greek) Fildisi Editions, Athens, Greece, 2016
  • SONGS OF THE ABSURD, poetry, (Greek) ENEKEN, Salonika, Greece, 2015
  • IMAGES OF ABSENCE, poetry, (Greek), Sexpirikon, Salonika, Greece, 2015
  • HIERODULES, poetry, (Greek), Sexpirikon, Salonika, Greece, 2014
  • YPERANTHROPOS, poetry, (Greek) ENEKEN, Salonika, Greece, 2014
  • TOLMIRES ANATASEIS, poetry, (Greek), GAVRIILIDIS EDITIONS, Athens, Greece, 2013
  • FYLLOROES,poetry, (Greek) ENEKEN PUBLICATIONS, Salonika, Greece, 2013
  • EARINI ISIMERIA, poetry, (Greek) ENEKEN PUBLICATIONS, Salonika, Greece, 2011
  • STRATIS ROUKOUNAS, novel, (Greek), MAVRIDIS EDITIONS, Athens, Greece, 1981

 
LONGHAND BOOKS

  • EROTOKRITOS, by Vitsentzos Kornaros, (rare book-collectible), transcribed by Manolis Aligizakis, Libros Libertad, 2015

 
HARVEST

Your voice sounded enchanting
on the phone
that warm day in August
and I dreamed of grapevines
and ripen grapes
full of sugar and drunkenness

and in the cool shade
under the plane trees
along the babbling brook
I imagined

your body that I liked to touch
and from your nipples
that I longed to taste
their sweetness and drunkenness to suckle

 
LUNCH

You gazed the waves
atmosphere smelled of sweat, oregano
and burnt garlic
the server as meticulous as ever
secured the white table cloth
with metal pins in each corner

the wall to our left painted light-blue
echo of lapping outside the window
the octopus on the cloths line
spread a painful cry
as it endured the attacks of wasps
and after I took a sip of my cool wine
I reached for your hand.

You turned and looked into my eyes
and the contention in your glance
warm, indescribable, endless
transcended the small space
of the village restaurant
with the smell of sweat, oregano
and burnt garlic

when suddenly I felt I was in Paradise
and you, my ethereal beauty, sitting next to me

 
WHISPER

You only felt it
didn’t hear it
though you turned
without saying any word
and looked at me

your irises
questioned

and it was so simple
I had only whispered

I love you

 
RUSTLE

Rustle of the lemon-tree leaves
as you passed
under them
and the flowers shivered
touched by your hair
which stirred the wind
a conqueror among them

and I followed you
taking of their fragrance
and yours
that challenged
the lemon tree flowers

and I couldn’t tell apart
the fragrance of your body
from the aroma of the lemon tree buds

 
For other contributions by Emmanuel Aligizakis, please follow the links below:

 
Neo-Hellene Poets – An anthology by Manolis Aligizakis

Neo-Hellene Poets – An Anthology of
Modern Greek Poetry 1750-2018

An anthology of poets by Manolis Aligizakis
paperback 6/9
817 pages
798-1-77171-301-6

 
Poetry in this post: © Emmanuel Aligizakis
Published with the permission of Emmanuel Aligizakis