Koula Teo is a poet, an author, a drama teacher, director and a playwright. Koula was born in Gastouni, Ilias , Greece, where she spent her early childhood years. Her family moved to Athens and, in 1964, Koula migrated to Australia. Self-taught and studious, she first appeared in 1987 at the Piccolo Spoletto Festival with the poem “Messages”, which established her as a poet.
She has won various commendations and prizes for her work including: a High Commendation from the Greek Australian Cultural League, in 1987 for the poem, Tote kai Tora [Now and Then], and in 1988 for the poem, I Balanta tou Mae [Ballad of May]; first prize from the Modern Greek Teacher’s Association for her short story, To Telefteo Roz [The Last Pink]; third prize from the Modern Greek Teachers Association for her short story, The Scalpel; and second prize for the Australia-wide Greek Play Competition, organised by the Themelio Salpatas Book Shop in New South Wales, for the play, Her Majesty the Mother.
Her poetry, novels, articles and plays have been published in various journals and newspapers and have been produced for radio and CDRom for Greek schools. Koula has very generously offered her time and work voluntarily as a Community Service towards the maintenance of the Greek language and culture.
Awards:
- 1988 Short story “I Kakourga” 1st Prize (The Greek Australian League)
- 1988 Short story To Telefteo Roz” 1st Prize (The Greek Teachers Association of Australia)
- 1990 Play “Her Majesty the Mama” 2nd Prize Original play competition, Sydney
- 1992 Short story “The Gray Suit” 1st Prize, University of Sydney literary competition
- 1998 The book “Ptyhes Zois” 1st Prize, Angeliadion Foundation, Melbourne
- 2004 Poem “Yia Ela Na Sou Po ” 1st Prize, International Society of Greek Writers and Arts.
Theatrical Production:
- “Ena Zevgari Kaltses” Melbourne 1992, Sydney & Adelaide Crete, Athens & European Cultural Capital Festival, Saloniki 1997.
- Awarded in Iraklion Pan Cretian Theatrical Competition 1997 First Prizes in Directorship and Best Actress, Second Prize for Theatrical Presentation as a group.
- “Her Majesty the Mama” Melbourne 1993, Crete 1996
- “Ta Didima” Melbourne 1994
- “0 Barba Costas & I Parthena” Melbourne 1995, Sydney 1995, Adelaide 1996. Grant received from Australia Council for the Arts.
- “Zesto Kafto ke Pagomeno” Melbourne 1996
- “I Diathiki Tou Antonaki” Melbourne 1998
- “Ena Kako Aggeloudi” Melbourne 1999
- “0 Adiorthothos” Melbourne 2000
- “Petra Sta Keramidia” Melbourne 2002
- “Antistrofi Metrisi” Melbourne 2003
School Plays:
Koula Teo also wrote, directed and staged one-act plays for Greek Schools namely: 0 Yitonas, Enestotas, To Tragoudi Tis Yiagias, Wedding, What Wedding?, To Vasano Tis Vasso, Year 2000, Kane to Kalo and 0 Moutjouris ki o Vromiaris.
Invited Directorships:
- 1999 “Pavlos Melas” for the Pan Macedonian Dimitria Festival
- 2001 “Lighting of the Olympic Flame”
- 2003 “Irea – Olympic Games for Girls”
Published Works:
- “The Greek Migrant Woman” Book printed in Greece and carries 8 pages of autobiography of Koula and her poems.
- “Ena Zevgari Kaltses” Theatrical Play. Book of 120 pp published by Dionysos Books Melbourne 1994 second edition published 2003
links:
- Interview by Dimitri Papageorgiou
- Anagnostis e-Magazine
