Antonis Tsokos was born in Athens in 1976. His first poetry collection titled Swing with the stars was published in 2013, followed by One more drink, Charles, Hours of plural insomnia, and From Emmanouil Benaki to midnight, all by Gavriilides Books. His poems have been translated into German and have been included in various anthologies. His new poetry collection titled A cooperative of janitors was published in December 2024 by Kichli.

Since 2016 he manages the online magazine Monocle. In autumn 2021, he opened Monocle Bookstore in Feidiou str., in the centre of Athens and in spring 2023 the Monocle Editions.

Your latest poetry collection Συνεταιρισμός θυρωρών [A cooperative of janitors] was recently published by Kichli. Tell us a few things about the book.

Α cooperative of janitors  is my fifth poetry collection, the first to be published by Kichli. The poems included in the book were written from 2019 to early 2022. I don’t remember which is the first poem in the collection, I mean chronologically, but I do remember the last one, that is, “The Cats of Feidiou str.”.  This is the only poem written in a bookstore. I should say that these poems, to a large extent, are also children of the city. Of my beloved Athens and beyond.

Love and death, time that relentlessly passes by and an underlying sorrow for things that are irreversibly lost seem to pervade the poems of the book. Which are the main themes the book touches upon?

Love, an ancient art that is being lost day by day, is one of the main themes of the collection. Another theme is time, which often moves in reverse, from the present to the past, deep into its arrogance, wearing itself away instead of inflicting damage. There are also references to love, death, and wealth unrelated to material possessions. Finally, there are conversations with my favorite poets; poets who have exerted an influence on my daily life.

Since your first poetry collection in 2013 until today, more than ten years later, what has changed and what has remained the same in your poetry? Are there recurrent points of reference in your writings?

My first poetry collection is quite different from my subsequent books. Both in the style and form of the poems. First writing ventures have an innocence that is difficult to repeat. In Swing with the stars I focused on finding the rhythm of my poems. Poetry is a dance that begins on earth and ends in heaven. For this to happen, your knees have to bleed repeatedly.

This condition won’t change no matter how many years pass by. The wounds only differ, some have healed while others are still deepening. If there is a point of reference in my poetry it is the urban lifestyle. The trees that live in my poems do not know what life is like in the forest. They have all grown up on busy avenues.

Critics have commented on the use of surreal elements in your poetry. What purpose does this sense of the unfamiliar, along with a strong ironic and sarcastic element, serve?

Many times poetry goes beyond reality to put things into the right perspective. In one of my poems I write “have you seen birds stop at red lights?”. In societies boundaries are set by people; poetry is governed by other rules. The law of gravity weighs down objects; in human thought there is no predetermined end. Otherwise poetic irony and sarcasm is the only way out.

More generally, what role does language play in your writings?

Language is both the beginning and the end for those of us involved in writing. A dear person of mine used to say that it’s the tools that make the master. Language is the most important tool we have in our hands. If we use it right we can do wonders, if we overdo it we will prove unworthy. There is always the risk of still damaging the tool itself.

How does poetry converse with the surrounding environment? Could poetry be used to imagine what could be radically different realities?

The role of poetry is comforting, subversive and radical. Only through poetry can we imagine a world without prejudices and inequalities. Can a poem change the world? Definitely no. But it can help us reconsider our perceptions.

In recent years there has been a burgeoning of poetry in every form. How is this strong civic presence to be explained?

In recent years, the production of poetry books has been on the rise. This does not mean that the interest of poetry readers has increased as well. However, in order not to be level-headed, some steps have been taken in this direction. Small publishing houses, independent bookstores and some creators have contributed to this end. Important poetry festivals are now held both in Athens and around the country. What is needed is for the poets to put ourselves second. Poetry should always come first.

How do contemporary poets converse with global literary trends? Where does the local/national meets the global and the universal?

The new generation of poets has an important tool in their hands, the internet. Technology has unwittingly benefited the written word. It is important that the poetry written today in every part of the planet reaches the eyes, ears and consciousness of our own creators the moment it is written. From then on, it is up to each creator to decide what to keep and what to leave free in the sky of poetry.

*Interview by Athina Rossoglou

**INTRO PHOTO ©Argiris Liosis

TAGS: LITERATURE & BOOKS | READING GREECE