Melbourne Book Launch

Melbourne Finally Gets Hold of "Our Homeland: Lesvos"

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Vasilios Vasilas' book, Our Homeland: Lesvos, was launched today in Melbourne at the Palesviaki' Enosis of Melbourne and Victoria's Club in Bayswater.

Over 120 people turned up for launch and enjoyed a memorable afternoon. 

Above: Vasilis Vasilas officially members of Melbourne's Lesvian community who helped and supported the spread of his work in their city. L-R: Vasilis Vasilas, Mary Pavlides, Alexandra Psaltopoulos, Sotiris Hatzimanolis, Giorgos Stavrinos, Christos Klidaras and Kostas Tsombakos.  

Speakers such as Palesviaki Enosis' President, Giorgos Stavrinos, Mytilenian Brotherhood of Sydney's President, Stavros Kritikos and ,members of Melbourne's Lesvian community such as Mary Pavlides, Giorgos Emmanouil, Maria Vetsika, Ioannis Esketzis and Chrysanthi Stavrinou, all commended Vasilis' patience, determination and meraki in uniting Australia's Lesvians through his work.

The main speaker for the Launch was Neos Kosmos' Chief Editor, Sotiris Hatzimanolis, who chose specific photographs and anecdotes in the book to highlight the universal appeal of the book.

Above: Mihalis Gialousis, Giorgos Emmanouil, Chief Editor of Neos Kosmos, Sotiris Hatzimanolis, and President of the Mytilenian Brotherhood of Sydney, Stavros Kritikos.

Above Right: Giorgos Adalis, Dimitrios Vounatsos, Giorgos Karantonis and unknown. 

Vasilis thanked Melbourne's Lesvians for all their support as the spread of his work would not have developed in Melbourne without their generosity and kindness. He emphasised that, like Sydney, Canberra and Wellington (NZ), Melbourne is an important base for the archival work of Syndesmos and other publications to continue growing.

For more photographs: Photo Gallery