The Journal

256 Spring 2024

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Overland 256 is the third issue in a suite of four special editions dedicated to commemorating 70 years of Overland. Inside its pages you'll find: Daniel Browning on the politics of memory, Antonia Pont on impatience, Sarah Wehbe on Palestinian fury and joy, and a special editorial by our departing poetry editor Toby Fitch. There's also new short fiction from Rowan MacDonald, Bethany Lalor and Amalia Stone, and new poetry from Josie Suzanne, Tim Loveday, Lulu Houdini and more.

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Overland literary journal > Articles by: Koraly Dimitriadis

Author archives

Koraly Dimitriadis

http://www.koralydimitriadis.com

Koraly is a widely published Cypriot-Australian writer and performer. She is the author of the controversial Love and F**k Poems. Koraly received an Australia Council ArtStart grant. She presents on 3CR radio and has a residency at Brunswick Street Bookstore. Her 2013 La Mama show is Exonerating The Body. She is mentored by Christos Tsiolkas.

Articles by Koraly Dimitriadis:

Published in Overland Issue Audio Overland II: Resistance · Writing

My wedding dress

Koraly Dimitriadis

31 January 201226 March 2012 · Reviews

Otherland

Koraly Dimitriadis

Otherland Maria Tumarkin Random House What initially drew me to reviewing historian Maria Tumarkin’s memoir, Otherland, was my interest in its themes. Maria left her birthplace, the Soviet Union, in 1989 as part of the Jewish emigration to Australia before the Berlin wall fell. The premise of Otherland is to tell the story of Maria’s […]

10 November 201128 March 2012 · Main Posts

Tearing down walls

Koraly Dimitriadis

Sometimes I get so tired of words. They pour out of me. It is not words that I lack. It is the discipline to arrange the words in a way that best articulates what it is I am trying to say. I’m trying to tear down walls, layers and layers of walls.

4 October 20111 June 2012 · Writing

Words from Cyprus

Koraly Dimitriadis

Hi Overlanders! Greetings from Cyprus! Island of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. I am here working on my novel, Misplaced. One-quarter of my novel is set in Cyprus, the rest in Melbourne. I have been writing my novel for six years. I am amazed at how much richer my prose is simply by being […]

27 June 201126 March 2012 · Writing

Poetry or pornography?

Koraly Dimitriadis

With the launch of my second poetry chapbook, Love and Fuck Poems, approaching, I thought it timely to write a post to hopefully generate some discussion about poetry and pornography, and the fine line between the two – or can they be the same thing? It’s a question that’s been dancing in my mind the […]

19 March 20111 June 2012 · Writing

Antithesis presents: words outside the wog box

Koraly Dimitriadis

As I’m typing this blog post, only a few kilometres away on Lonsdale Street in the city, the annual Antipodes festival is in full swing. There’s fairy floss, carnival rides, imported Greek singers, bouzouki, Greek dancing and, of course, souvlaki. The Antipodes festival has been running since 1987 and, according to their website and to […]

24 November 201020 July 2012 · Writing

Writing: community and culture

Koraly Dimitriadis

For my Overland Subscriberthon post this year, I wanted to raise and discuss the importance of writing community. Here at Overland, I have always felt a sense of community; a place where I can share my thoughts and engage in hearty political debate. A place where I can learn, make mistakes, reflect. We may be […]

10 November 201010 November 2010 · Main Posts

Victoria, when are you going to support your arts?

Koraly Dimitriadis

This year I have harshly come to the realisation that our government doesn’t care about art, well, not unless you’re Tim Winton, Nicole Kidman or the Australian orchestra. To them, emerging artists are just the people on the sidelines who should get their act together and get a real job. We are the annoying buskers […]

23 September 201023 September 2010 · Main Posts

Melbourne getting all poetic

Koraly Dimitriadis

With the closing ceremony of the Overload poetry festival at the Grace Darling Hotel on Sunday, I was disappointed poetry would once again retreat from the limelight. The experience I had this year, participating in the festival as a poet, was far more exciting than my role reviewing it here on Overland last year. Observing […]

29 July 2010 · Main Posts

Where poetry and the Greens meet

Koraly Dimitriadis

Extending Our Community with the Australian Greens 1 August 2:00-4:40 284 Brunswick st Fitzroy Aboriginal elder Uncle Reg Blow will conduct a cleansing ceremony to precede a heat of the invitational Melbourne Believer Slam. Slam MC: Michael Reynolds Competitors: Ben Pobjie, Laura Smith, Luka Haralampou, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Graham Colin, Dandelion Jackson, Rhys Rodgers, Koraly […]

15 July 201015 July 2010 · Main Posts

Poetry review – My father’s tools

Koraly Dimitriadis

My father’s tools Tom Petsinis Arcadia The relationship between father and son is explored in Tom Petsinis’s sixth poetry collection My father’s tools, published by Arcadia. The poetry, accompanied by the artwork of Jim Pavlidis, is series of poems, each named after a tool in Petsinis’s deceased father’s toolbox. Although each short poem can be […]

12 July 2010 · Main Posts

The Muslim voice pushing through

Koraly Dimitriadis

The politically conscious hip-hop group The Brothahood ask ‘Why?’ Five Muslim spoken-word/rap artists born in Australia with Lebanese backgrounds, The Brothahood are smashing stereotypes with their album Lyrics of mass construction, and tracks like ‘Why?’ When I accidentally stumbled across them a few months ago I was asking myself why haven’t I heard of these […]

2 June 20102 June 2010 · Main Posts

Mother Muse at Sospeso
– a literary event

Koraly Dimitriadis

From the doubts of conception through to the power of labour, and onto the magic and miseries of babies and children and mature awareness as daughters – 5 women wordsmiths share their perspectives to create a multi-voiced portrait of mothering in modern Australia. Performing on the night: Koraly Dimitriadis, Vicki Thornton, Amy Bodossian, Tiggy Johnson […]

17 May 201017 May 2010 · Main Posts

The joke of ‘Mother’s Day’

Koraly Dimitriadis

Two weeks ago I promised myself I wouldn’t blog till I finished the current draft of my novel. I’ve tried really hard to push this blog piece down but it keeps resurfacing in my mind, tormenting me, and so I realised the only way to get back to finishing my novel is to write the […]

4 May 20104 May 2010 · Main Posts

Spoken Word on the airwaves

Koraly Dimitriadis

This Thursday morning between 9 and 9.30, I’ll be interviewed by Peter Goodyear on 3CR’s Spoken Word program (855 AM). 3CR can also be streamed online. Apart from reciting a selection of my prose and poetry, I’ll also be discussing my influences, the writing of my novel Misplaced and the Melbourne rock band, Trial Kennedy […]

26 April 201027 April 2010 · Main Posts

The mountains couldn’t walk away – Sydney launch

Koraly Dimitriadis

A few weeks ago, I posted a review on the Melbourne book launch of Andrea Demetriou’s haunting book, The mountains couldn’t walk away. Andrea’s poetry collection is a reflection of her experiences escaping Cyprus as an eight-year-old girl when Turkey invaded in 1974. Since posting my review, I’ve received requests to post some of her […]

22 April 201023 April 2010 · Main Posts

Wog – why whisper it?

Koraly Dimitriadis

I am a wog, and I’m proud of it. I don’t call myself an aussie and I was born in Australia. This may be difficult for some to digest, but that’s how I feel, and I’m not alone is saying it either. A few weeks ago, I emailed a review of the George Michael concert […]

26 March 2010 · Main Posts

The mountains couldn’t walk away – a review

Koraly Dimitriadis

Poetry review The mountains couldn’t walk away Andrea Demetriou If only the mountains could have walked away, Andrea, if only. If only they had picked themselves up and treaded over the invading Turks on that dark night in Cyprus in 1974. Instead, to this day, they are a constant reminder of what we lost with […]

19 March 201022 March 2010 · Main Posts

Literary inspirations – an interview with Christos Tsiolkas

Koraly Dimitriadis

As an aspiring writer, it’s helpful to have successful published writers believe in you and your writing. When I approached Christos Tsiolkas at an ‘in conversation’ at Readings in Carlton almost two years ago, I never would have imagined that I would have gained not only an inspirational mentor, but a good friend. Apart from […]

9 March 20109 March 2010 · Main Posts

‘Freedom’

Koraly Dimitriadis

In the absence of security, I made my way into the night, with 40 000 others, to Edihad Stadium for the George Michael concert. Nostalgia lingered in the warm Melbourne night. My reasons for wanting to see George Michael went beyond his exceptional voice – it was also to reconnect with memories of dress ups […]

28 February 20101 March 2010 · Main Posts

Finally – Gil Scott Heron is on Parole

Koraly Dimitriadis

Less than a fortnight ago in a small bookshop in Carlton, a small tidal wave crashed into the face of the current Australian literary landscape when Maxine Beneba Clarke’s first major poetry collection, Gil Scott Heron is on Parole, was launched. I don’t usually drag myself out of hiding for a book launch these days […]

19 February 2010 · Main Posts

Today I thought I was Ella

Koraly Dimitriadis

Today I thought I was Ella. I thought I was a young, naive girl in love. But I’m not. I’m not Ella, I’m her author. I created her. Yet she is me. Ella is me but so is Anna and Harry and Robert and Jed and George – all of them are me. They are […]

3 February 201015 February 2010 · Main Posts

Ten confessions of an aspiring writer

Koraly Dimitriadis

Since I’m redrafting my novel Misplaced again in anticipation of finding an agent, or a publisher, or some good news, I thought I’d share some things I’ve learnt along the way that might help other writers. You can read a short synopsis of Misplaced here and a new extract I’ve posted here. The extract is […]

28 January 201028 January 2010 · Main Posts

Art isn’t about buildings, it’s about culture

Koraly Dimitriadis

Premier Brumby describes Peter Bachelor as being someone who is ‘passionate about the arts’. Apparently he was involved in the construction of the Arts Centre and also regularly attends the theatre, concerts and dance performances, so he must be passionate about the arts. He must. But where is he? Where is our new arts minister? […]

18 January 201018 January 2010 · Main Posts

Murderer Brumby stop killing our art

Koraly Dimitriadis

It seems Premier Brumby has been on a bit of a rampage the last year, killing off our art, and apparently, this is only the beginning. I thought it couldn’t get any worse when the skills reform was introduced mid last year, putting TAFE out of reach for many Victorians. This legislation stabbed at the […]

13 January 201013 January 2010 · Main Posts

Motherhood: too bad, it was your choice

Koraly Dimitriadis

This article has been brewing in me for three years – that’s how long I’ve been a mother for. I’ve thought long and hard about writing this article. Many have advised me against it. But ultimately, the importance of initiating discussion and change for the better outweighs my reluctance and fear. Outspoken mothers these days […]

5 January 2010 · Main Posts

Sorry, Jen, but when I look at this I want to starve myself

Koraly Dimitriadis

If Marie Claire and eating disorder experts believe an untouched photo of a former Miss Universe is prompting positive body images they are seriously deluding themselves. A body like Jennifer Hawkins’s only exists with regimented diet and exercise and is hardly realistic. This photo depresses me. This photo makes me want to lay on the […]

24 December 2009 · Main Posts

Merry Christmas

Koraly Dimitriadis

Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas sings Santa, from his sleigh. ‘Look, Mummy – there’s Santa,’ the little girl cries at darkened skies. Merry Christmas, the Mum thinks, while she wraps up the gifts, and prepares the lamb feast, as her Mum would do. As she must do. Merry Christmas – it’s that time of year […]

14 December 200914 December 2009 · Main Posts

Drunk on Sleeping Beauty

Koraly Dimitriadis

Lips that shame the red rose, hair of sunshine-gold. She’ll offer springtime wherever she goes. Arora is stunning, thin, the victim of Maleficent’s cruelty. Arora dances to ‘Once upon a dream’ deep in the forest with cute, furry animals. The prince sneaks up behind her. She’s hesitant – she can’t talk to strangers. But they’ve […]

9 December 200911 December 2009 · Main Posts

Contemplation (a poem)

Koraly Dimitriadis

Contemplation of creamy moussaka, or fish and chips. Contemplation of another one child with a male womb. Contemplation of damned souls Orthodox, blessed in a church. Contemplation of Snoop Doggy Dog hum regulating. Contemplation, contemplation, contemplation of numbness dancing in darkness with strobes of lights and blindness. Contemplation of fifty scotches straight when it’s too […]

5 December 20095 December 2009 · Main Posts

Art and sexism: is it acceptable?

Koraly Dimitriadis

Last night, after the heated discussion on the Nick Cave essay by Crawford, I thought I’d post some of my reflections on the debate which have left me a little confused about my own beliefs as an artist. Is art allowed to be sexist? Is art allowed to cross the line? It seems everywhere you […]

2 December 20093 December 2009 · Main Posts

My journey to Overland: the politics subject I never took

Koraly Dimitriadis

Six years ago I saw Overland for the first time on a bookshelf in Readings. ‘Progressive culture’ were the refreshing words that stood out, a vast contrast to the words ‘shareholder value’ being hammered into me as a corporate drone programmer. Yes, that’s right everyone, I was once one of ‘them’ [evil cackle]. It was […]

18 November 20092 December 2009 · Main Posts

Wordiness

Koraly Dimitriadis

How many words are too many? How important is word count? Do the rules change when you’re an established writer compared to when you’re just starting out? These are some of the questions I tackled completing the 7th draft of my manuscript, Misplaced. It was daunting – I reduced my word count from 130,000 words […]

8 November 20099 December 2009 · Main Posts

The story (a poem)

Koraly Dimitriadis

The story must come out, ripping like hurls of vomit / of an infectious plague that locks away crazy. It tears at a body that coughs up in resistance / green phlegm and acid / with seized up hands of sand. The story must come out / at the ‘You’re not going in there, Mummy’ […]