The cultural divisions of Greek-New Zealander Michalia Arathimos, author of "Aukati"

It's the story of a Greek woman and a Maori man coming together, it's kind of a love story but it's really about you know finding similarities between cultures also who gets to decide which culture is us, which culture is the norm, in which culture is outside of them, which I think is a very important issue in Australia as well". Greek New-Zealander author Michalia Arathymos on SBS Greek.

Greek New Zealander Michalia Arathimos at SBS Radio Studios in Melbourne. Source: SBS Greek

 

A few words about your book 

This is my debut novel and it's called “Aukati”. It is actually a Maori word and it means “boundary line”.

So the origin of this word is when the Crown was colonising New Zealand and they were taking land from the Maori inhabitants, the Maori people had to make “Aukati” which is like a boundary. 

It's not a Maori concept to own land in this way, it was a reaction. In a more broad sense “aukati” for me means the division between culture.

At the Book Awards 2019, organised by Greek Australian Cultural League. Source: SBS Greek

This is something, that I think informs the whole novel.

It's about a Greek woman and a Maori man coming together, it's kind of a love story but it's really about you know finding similarities between cultures also who gets to decide which culture is us which culture is the norm in which culture is outside of them, which I think is a very important issue in Australia as well.

You've been living in Victoria for the past few years. Why did you move from here?

It was a move of pure passion. I was doing my PHD in writing, so I finished my PHD, I had been in academia for 5 years and I wanted to do something crazy and wild and totally different.

Greek New Zealander author Michalia Arathimos. Source: SBS Greek

At that time, my partner who is Maori was offered a job in the middle of the desert in Western Australia on Aboriginal community.

I took my son, Niko and my partner and we went to the middle of the desert and we lived there for a year and it was the most amazing experience. 

But it was also very shocking, very challenging in a lot of ways. We lived there on this community and at the end of this time, we were to going back to New Zealand.

Then we said to each other “if you could go anywhere, where would you go?” and the answer was Melbourne. 

You’re of Greek background, your mum is Greek and your dad is Kiwi. How is this combination working for you?

This is something that I was trying to work out in this book. This is something that I'm still trying to work out in myself really, is how do you define your identity.

Publisher Eleni Nickas (L) with author Michalia Arathymos. Source: SBS Greek

For the longest time because I lost my language when I was little and I used to speak fluent Greek. 

Now, this was a source of grief and shame as a third-generation Greek and I felt like maybe I wasn't a proper Greek or a real Greek. 

Also because I was in a small community, this was a very strict idea of what a proper Greek girl is. 

Then when I came to Melbourne, I feel like that really changed actually because in Melbourne there are many different ways to be a great person and just because you don't speak or you might be half, you can be a Greek person. 

Press Play on the main photo to listen the podcast (in Greek). Podcast in English, at the start of this report.