It is no easy task to shine a light on what we understand the human journey to be. To do so requires a point of view, a still point, that is somewhat paradoxical in nature. But one which ultimately allows us to observe the self, as it sparks and sustains the love affair with eternity we all share. From our deepest fears and blunders to our most lofty accomplishments, it is this romance that kindles and intoxicates, and provides the backdrop to all our wanderings. We are perplexed and inspired by it, and often hide in its dazzling radiance and warmth. But we cannot escape the force of its demand, which seems to be: to find joy in what we carry, bring to consciousness what we can, and in so doing, continue to heave through the disorder that circles the big bang experience we call life.

Ilya Tourtidis was born in Greece in 1949. He moved to Australia when he was four years old and to Canada when he was fifteen. Educated at the University of Victoria, he worked as a teacher and later as a School Counselor in the Comox Valley where he now resides. He was Co-winner of the Gerald Lampert Award in 1994 for his first book of poems, Mad Magellan's Tale. A subsequent collection of his poetry, The Spell of Memory was published in 2004. This was followed by a further collection, Path of Descent and Devotion, published in 2009. In addition to poetry, Ilya Tourtidis also writes screenplays, novels, and children's stories.

Ilya Tourtidis' profile page