Saracen Island: The Poems of Andreas Karavis

Andreas Karavis has been called Greece’s modern Homer. This is the first time that his work has appeared in English, except for a poem in the Atlantic Monthly [October 1999] and a selection of poems which appeared with a feature article and interview in Books in Canada [October 1999]. Andreas Karavis was born in 1932. His first book, White Poems appeared in 1965. His second volume, The Dream Masters was published in 1989, and rapidly established Karavis as one of the most “magisterial and patristic” poetry voices in the history of modern Greek literature. The title poem, generally considered to be Karavis’ signature work, is included in almost every recent anthology and is a staple in university courses.

Reviews

“It is a great poem, the kind that will make future readers take seriously Solway’s claim to be our Yeats […] Saracen Island and An Andreas Karavis Companion constitute a vast allegory of the Canadian Literary landscape […] perhaps you will find yourself in them.” –Derek Webster, The Fiddlehead, No. 210

“In Saracen Island [Solway] has his own special brand of fun, creating a detailed poetic biography for Karavis. The poems are, as Solway says of Karavis, “deceptively simple and profoundly resourceful.” […] Karavis, whoever he may be, is an engaging persona, . . . seldom relinquishing Solway’s characteristic energy.” –Diana Fitzgerald Bryden, National Post

“In Solway’s able hands, Karavis has become an Aegean pirate’s vessel, carrying within it a rich booty of seas, desolate shores, compass roses and wild emeralds.” –Fred A. Reed, Montreal Review of Books