Philosophers,Writers,Poets
Cornelios Castoriades. One of the most controversial figures of modern philoshophy. He was a philosopher, political thinker, social critic, practicing psychoanalyst, renowned Sovietologist, and economist who cofounded the now legendary revolutionary journal and group Socialisme ou Barbarie (1948-1967). He believed that it is possible to move world society in a desired direction via a deliberative global democratic process. His thoughts and ideas were hugely discussed and still make an important issue in the universities all over the world. Very well known in Europe and especially in France where he lived most of his life. Much admired but also hated...He died in 1997.
Nikos Kazantzakis. A great novelist, poet, and thinker who was born in Crete in 1883 and died in Oct. 26 in 1957. His career started out more philosophical and pedagogical than literary. He came to the fore as a poet only in 1938 with his vast philosophical epic "The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel" (Eng. trans., 1958), which takes up the hero's story where Homer leaves off. Even more successful were his novels, which he did not begin writing until after his 60th year. His first, "Zorba the Greek" (1946), is the most popular and was turned into a movie by Cacoyannis in 1965 and made an international success. Kazantzakis also wrote the novels "The last Temptation of Christ" (1955; Eng. trans., 1960; film 1988) and "God's Pauper: Saint Francis of Assisi" (1956; Eng. trans., 1962); a large number of plays; and an autobiography, "Report to Greco" (1961; Eng. trans., 1965). In 28th of June 1956, in Vienna, he was awarded the International Peace Award. His words "I don't fear anything, I'm not hoping in anything, I'm free" are written in the marble of his grave in Herakleion, Crete where he is buried.
Odysseas Elytis. Born in 1911 and one of the greatest Greek poets of modern times. In 1943 he published his first collection "Ilios o protos", which was followed by "Axion Esti" in 1959. This was maybe his most well known collection he ever wrote, and inspired Mikis Theodorakis to write some of his most beautiful songs, which became huge success in all over the world. In 1979, he was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Writing, for his overall work. He continued writing up to the end of his life in 1997. "Me simaia eukairias" was the name of his last collection which became huge publish success in 1984. He was mourned as a national hero.
Yorgos Seferis. Born in 1900, Yorgos Seferis was the first Greek to be honoured with the Nobel Prize. His parents were also authors and poets, something that made him to make his choice very early. Being a diplomat, he was able to live in many countries, for which he wrote about his experiences. In March 1969, he made a public statement about the "all-mighty" dictators that were then in power in Greece. This aroused huge international interest and cause great problems to the dictators. He died in 1971 and his funeral became a demonstration against the dictatorship. His poems became songs by Mikis Theodorakis and he is thought to be one of the most well known Greek poets, internationally.
Constantine Cavafy (Konstantinos Kavafis) . One of the most distinguished Greek poets, was born on April 29, 1863 and died on the same date in 1933 in Alexandria (Egypt). Cavafy spent seven years in England, between the ages of nine and sixteen, which were important in the shaping of his poetic sensibility. His reading in English literature combined with his love for Ancient Greek literature created a unique style, difficult to be copied by anyone. Cavafy remained virtually unrecognized in Greece until late in his career and never offered a volume of his poems for sale during his lifetime. His method of distributing his work was to give friends and relatives the several pamphlets of his poems that he had printed privately and a folder of his latest broadsheets or off prints held together by a large clip. This resulted in his after death recognition and the lack of a Nobel award, which could be thought as a natural outcome if his poems were printed during his lifetime.
"...And if you find her poor, Ithaca won't have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you will have understood by then what these Ithacas mean."
Although the poet’s furniture had all been sold by his heirs, his library was saved by the eminent Cavafologist Prof. George Savidis. The Cavafy International Committee leased the poet’s apartment in 1991 and the Cavafy Museum opened to the public on November 16th 1992 while in 1996 a movie called "Cavafy" was shot recounting his life featuring music composed by Vangelis.
Mihalis Raptis (Pablo). One of the most important theoretics of modern socialism who spent most of his life fighting for democracy and freedom. He was born in 1911 and became involved in the struggles of the Greek workers' movement at a young age. Raptis found himself in his country's prisons on several occasions, and was obliged to spend a large part of his life in exile, mainly in France. It was in France, in September 1938, using the pseudonym Speros, that he participated in the founding conference of the Fourth International. He fought in the Spanish Civil War against Franco and returned in France in 1939 where he stayed during the Nazi occupation, dedicating himself to an extremely dangerous underground struggle to reorganise the Trotskyist movement in Europe, after it had been ravaged by repression. It was in these war years that Michel began to play a major role in the International. Pablo was directly involved, from the beginning, in a multi-faceted solidarity with the Algerian revolution. He was arrested in June 1960 in Amsterdam, together with another International Secretariat member, Sal Santen, and accused of having prepared false papers and forged banknotes. A wide solidarity movement developed around the world during his detention, and during his trial in 1961. The appeal launched by Jean-Paul Sartre and signed, among others, by Simone Beauvoir and the Brazilian writer Jorge Amado was a central part of this campaign. Michel was finally sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, and liberated at the end of his trial. He took refuge in Morocco. After the victory of the revolution he moved to Algiers, where he collaborated with Ahmed Ben Bella's government. He rejoined the leading bodies of the International after his release from prison. His report on the Algerian revolution was one of the most moving moments of the 1963 world congress. After that he went back to Greece where he continued writing and died peacefully in 1996.
