Cirrus@Austlit

'I was sent a copy of the recording of this interview by my friend Anna Couani around the time Antigone Kefala was awarded The Patrick White Literary Award on 24 November 2022, shortly before her death on 3 December 2022. The timing of the award was bittersweet, for her many fans and admirers. The interview was recorded in her home in Annandale and is more of a conversation between Antigone Kefala, Vrasidas Karalis and Anna Couani. It is Antigone Kefala’s last interview. She had given an interview in March 2022, one month prior, to her publisher and friend Ivor Indyk of Giramondo Publishing. I had the good fortune to meet Antigone Kefala and the author Yota Krili at an afternoon tea at Anna Couani’s house in December 2021.' (Introduction)          

'How does one bestow words upon sorrow? In which language can one speak to the dead? There are key questions raised by Vrasidas Karalis in his elegiac Farewell to Robert, an outpouring of grief at the loss of his partner of twenty-nine years, Robert Meader:..' (Introduction)            

'We start at the beginning with the title. “Funny  Ethnics” is a self reflexive nod to the non-Asian audience about to read the book with a promise to be amusing with cross cultural humour. Le lives up to this promise and more, with her insightful voice through Sylvia her protagonist. Non Asians may laugh at some of the foibles Le illustrates but Asians would too but also have ‘a ha’ moments of recognition.' (Introduction)