Giorgos Seferis

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Category: Literature

Published on Tuesday, 10 March 2020 16:52

This time I will introduce you to a famous Greek writer, who is called Giorgos Seferis (Γιώργος Σεφέρης). That is actually just his pen name, his real name is Georgios Seferiades.

Giorgos Seferis was born in 1900 in Urla in Asia Minor, which was part of the Ottoman Empire back then. At the age of 14 his family moved to Athens, where he also finished school. His father had a big influence on him. As he worked as a lawyer Giorgos also studied law at the University of Paris from 1918 - 1925. When he returned to Athens after having finished his studies he was admitted to the Royal Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He had a long and successful diplomatic career and held posts in many different countries. He married Maria Zannou when he was 41 years old, right before the German troops invaded Greece.

Giorgos visited Cyprus in 1953 and immediately fell in love with the island. His life there inspired him to write a book of poems which he titled “Imerologio Katastromatos III”. Ten years later he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In 1967 the repressive nationalist regime took power in Greece. During this time he showed resistance against the oppressors by stating to the BBC that “This anomaly must end”. Unfortunately he did not see the end of the military dictatorship as he died in Athens in 1971 because of pneumonia.