Jacqueline paizis - My Interview with Awesome Gang newsletter

Jacqueline paizis: Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written. I was born in Hythe, Kent UK into a working class family. My enduring love of the sea is born from

A Sea Change

A little taster of A Sea Change to tempt you                               

 "Alex sensed my unease and put his arm round my shoulder, pulling me tight towards him. "It's okay Lorna. It always goes like this on Greek demonstrations, just this one is very big. If often turns into a confrontation between anarchists and MAT. The speeches will be held up if a bomb really has gone off but I'm not bothered about the speeches. The only one worth listening to will be Alexis Tsipras of SYRIZA. Anyone further Left doesn't get a look in."

I had seen Tsipras on television and understood a fair amount of what he said. He seemed to me to be a pretty charismatic figure and the coalition was doing well in the opinion polls. The late afternoon temperature was dropping but I could feel my own rising as my cheek rested on Alex's coat. Once I let my fear and anxiety go I became aware of the streaks of pink and violet sky that sprawled like a canopy about Panepistemiou and its mass of human energy. I knew I would never forget the experience. This was no outpouring of disaffected, spoilt, middle class youth. Yes,

they were here as well. But the bulk of the demonstrators were an eclectic mix of young, middle and elderly. Pensioners were highly visible and vocal. Firefighters, wielding flares, marched in their uniforms. Militant teachers and their students, even nursery workers were represented. I saw two Greek Orthodox priests marching side by side in their robes, their heads protected by skufia. I guess the kalimvaki, the tall priest's hats, would have been too tempting as targets for missile throwers. I took all this in and I thought of the three thousand five hundred years of history that all these amazing faces reflected." (p251)

The Cleaner of Kastoria

Just a little to tempt you to read my first novel The Cleaner of Kastoria if you haven't already done so.

"Where the trees ended the ground fell at a sharp angle like a slice of icing on a cake. The top layer of crystals twinkled under the moon that was now overhead. Dina looked ahead but she couldn't see any path. They would have to single file along the top of the ridge. She waved them on behind her. They didn't need to raise their boots so high as the snow was only ankle deep here. Dina gripped her rifle too tightly. She was frightened. It was too quiet. She looked to her right and could make out the snow covered shapes of boulders and as her eye moved across the width of the ridge it twitched in response to something. It had been a very quick flicker. Orange colour. Then black again." (p126) 

slenderbeak: Greek General Election 7th July 2019

slenderbeak: Greek General Election 7th July 2019: I was here for the 2015 General Election. What a different atmosphere this time. My Greek friends will mainly vote Syriza. They say that t...

Greek General Election 7th July 2019

I was here for the 2015 General Election. What a different atmosphere this time.
My Greek friends will mainly vote Syriza. They say that the choice is between Syriza and New Democracy and that if they voted for any smaller party or coalition of parties such as Varoufakis's MeRA25, they would certainly be allowing the right wing New Democracy to win. I can see their logic. It's not so far removed from the way UK voters behave. And, they say, four years is not long enough to judge the neo-liberal policies of Alexis Tsipras.

Of course, Tsipras was never a revolutionary socialist anymore than Jeremy Corbyn is, so we shouldn't expect anything different from them. According to Zoe Konstantopoulou (former Greek Parliament Speaker and Syriza), Tsipras only lasted seventeen hours in negotiations with the EU over the imposition of austerity measures on the Greek people. That pales into insignificance when you compare it to the physical torture endured by people like her father during the 1967 dictatorship. Fair point.

So, what is to be done? Mitsotakis of New Democracy wants to win an absolute majority so he can do whatever he wants but if they get it I suspect the Greek voters will live to regret the result. He has also avoided public debate with Tsipras. Uhm! Now who does that remind me of? If you scrutinize the neo-liberal agendas of western democracies they don't differ so much.

Many people are afraid to vote for who they really think will bring profound change, not only for their country but the world because alternative parties are too small and so the carousel spins round once again. It takes conviction to branch out from the stale, established system by getting off that horse and sticking to our principles. But If we don't, we will continue to get more of the same, whether it's New Democracy or Syriza, Tory or Labour. I feel I owe my children better than that.

slenderbeak: National Poetry DayByron in KefaloniaByron sp...

slenderbeak:

National Poetry Day

Byron in Kefalonia
Byron sp...: National Poetry Day Byron in Kefalonia Byron spent four months in Kefalonia. In1821 the Ionian islands were governed by the B...

National Poetry Day

Byron in Kefalonia

Byron spent four months in Kefalonia. In1821 the Ionian islands were governed by the British Protectorate who wanted to remain neutral in the war between Turkey and Greece. This relatively unknown verse from Byron’s journal, was written in 1823 during his four month stay on the island.  Byron came to Kefalonia to support the men who defied the 1821 decree of the British Protectorate government that denied them the right to help their fellow countrymen in their uprising against the Turkish domination of the mainland.

“The Dead have been awakened – shall I sleep?

The World’s at war with tyrants – shall I crouch?

The Harvest’s ripe – and shall I pause to reap?

I slumber not – the thorn is in my Couch –

Each day a trumpet soundeth in mine ear –

Its Echo in my heart.”