Greekling

Greekling is a debut poetry collection by Kostya Tsolakis that explores the damaged and rejected Greek bodies, intertwining Greek culture, history, and poetic influences with the contemporary queer experience. It charts the pursuit of unconditional happiness, exploring queer joy on dance floors, darkrooms, and bedsits, as well as the risks of crossing strangers' thresholds. Athens is a constant presence throughout the collection, reflecting on a changing and often misrepresented country, the nature of motherlands and mother tongues, and a voyage out and a return.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 72 pages
Publication date: 26 October 2023
Publisher: Nine Arches Press

Greekling, the highly anticipated debut poetry collection by Kostya Tsolakis, delves into the celebration and commemoration of damaged and rejected Greek bodies, encompassing a wide range of physical forms, from flesh and blood to marble and natural bodies. By seamlessly intertwining Greek culture, history, and poetic influences with the contemporary queer experience, this collection achieves a profound level of perceptiveness, lyricism, and evocative power, transporting readers to various times and places.

From an Athenian childhood to a closeted adolescence amidst the shadow of the AIDS epidemic, Tsolakis' journey unfolds, charting the pursuit of unwavering happiness. These poems explore the profound joys of queer existence on dance floors, in darkrooms, and in the confines of bedsits, while also delving into the risks associated with crossing strangers' thresholds or confronting the harsh realities of society's hypermasculine expectations. Throughout the collection, Athens serves as a constant presence, a city that the poet initially abandoned at eighteen but has since rediscovered and come to love anew.

Greekling oscillates between lament and celebration, reflecting on a changing and often misrepresented country, the complexities of motherlands and mother tongues, and the transformative power of exploration and return. This collection serves as a captivating voyage, both outward and inward, offering a profound exploration of identity, sexuality, and the human experience.

Weight: 148g
Dimension: 141 x 216 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913437824