UNKNOWN

Wheat fields, plants, and grains have inspired numerous poets and songwriters around the globe. ("We are captives, even if our wheat grows over the fences/ and swallows rise from our broken chains" - Mahmoud Darwish). Manolis is one among them. His poems in Wheat Ears speak of his experiences in Crete, Greece and Canada. He has published more than 20 books of poetry, three novels, eleven major translation works, and several more books. His poems have been translated into several languages, and he has been honoured with many awards.

Poetry comes naturally to Manolis. He doesn't have to wait for some kind of inspiration to write a poem. Any ordinary thing, normal happening, simple thought for him can become extraordinary, can expand to the limits of the universe or shrink to its atomic nucleus: a wheat ear tops the stem of its plant, the plant grows out of the earth, the earth is a planet of the solar system, and is also mother to all creatures - everything in the universe is connected. This experience of extraordinariness is obviously transitory, but can become permanent when a poet like Manolis gives it a form. In the poem,

Manolis (Emmanuel Aligizakis) has published more than 20 books of poetry, three novels, and eleven major translation works. His translation George Seferis-Collected Poems was shortlisted for the Greek National Literary Awards. His articles, poems and short stories in both Greek and English have appeared in books, magazines and newspapers in Canada, United States, Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Australia, and Greece. His poetry has been translated into Spanish, Romanian, Swedish, Portuguese, German, Hungarian, Urdu and Punjabi.