Biography

Born in China of Greek parents in Chefoo (now Yantai

Yantai

Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.The largest fishing...

), Paradissis moved to Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 in 1932. He studied at St. Francis Xavier's College and then business and law at the Aurora University (Shanghai)

Aurora University (Shanghai)

Aurora University was a pre-eminent Catholic university in Shanghai from 1903 to 1952.The founder was Father Joseph Ma Xiangbo S.J. and French Jesuits. The University was founded on 27th February, 1903. Ma Xiangbo left in 1906 and the university was kept by French Jesuits until the coming of...

. Paradissis arrived in Australia in 1949 and continued his studies at the University of Melbourne

University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...

 and at La Trobe University

La Trobe University

La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...

. He was senior lecturer in French, Spanish, and European literature at La Trobe University (1967-85).

Works

• A Tree at the gate, Sydney, Wentworth Books, 1971
• The City of the Tree, South Melbourne: Taurus Publishing, 1981
• The Bing Book of Verse: Poems in Memory of Bing Crosby, Balwyn, Victoria. 1983
• Dragonsleep, New York, Vantage Press, 1995.
• The Balzac Stories: from Paris to Parramatta and other Tales, Melbourne: Adapar Creative Services, 1996
• The Shanghai Chronicles: the Day after Pearl Harbor and other stories, Melbourne: Adapar Creative Services, 1998