AustLit

Nikos Paizis received primary school education in his village of Kioni on Ithaca. He was influenced by stories he heard from Greek immigrants travelling from Australia and after a period of service in the Greek navy he emigrated. He resided in Melbourne visiting Ithaca in 1926 and again in 1949 and 1951. His inherited instinct for rhythmic verse saw him become a well known improviser and reciter of oral satirical verse in the Greek community in Melbourne. He sometimes composed longer poems on a variety of subjects. He recited his one act sketch on the Greek-Italian War of 1940-41 at the variety show of the pan-Epirotic Brotherhood of Melbourne in 1950. Most of his poems remained unpublished and those which survive were remembered through his friends and compatriots. He returned to Greece in 1957 and died the following year.