Arisitides Paradissis was born in Chefoo (now Yantai), China, of Greek parents. The family settled in Shanghai in 1932. Paradissis completed high school studies at St Francis Xavier's College and went on to study economics and law at the Université l'Aurore, Shanghai, gaining a Licence en Droit. He survived the Japanese occupation and left China in 1947. After teaching for two years at British schools in Egypt he migrated with his family to Australia where he became a high school teacher and studied part time.
Paradissis obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree from London, a Master of Arts (Hons) degree from the University of Melbourne, a Master of Arts (Hons) degree from La Trobe University, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in French literature from the University of Melbourne. He taught in schools, colleges and universities in China, Egypt and Australia before being appointed Lecturer at La Trobe University in 1964. He was Senior Lecturer in French, Spanish and European literature at La Trobe University, Melbourne from 1967 to 1985. He retired at the end of 1985 to begin a new career as a writer.
Paradissis's published works include articles, short stories and poems in English, French, Spanish and Greek. His poems have been published in the journals Luna and Domi. Paradissis wrote Studies on the Origins and Significance of Balzac's Humour and Satire (1971) based on his doctoral thesis.
(Source: 'Aristides Paradissis' in George Kanarakis Greek Voices in Australia : a tradition of prose,
poetry and drama (1987): 439-444.)
