Alki Zei - Rights Guide

3 The legendary novelist Alki Zei has shaped modern Greek literature and children’s fiction like none other. One of the most famous, multi-awarded and beloved contemporary Greek authors, she started writing very young and studied philosophy at the University of Athens, drama at the Athens Conservatory and screenwriting at Moscow Cinema Institute. She also translated books for children from French, Italian and Russian, including works by Gianni Rodari and Vera Panova. Since the years of the German occupation during Second World War, she fought actively for freedom, social justice and democracy, being part of the left-wing movement. She suffered a lot for her involvement to that cause and lived an important part of her life as a political refugee in the Soviet Union and in Paris, until the reconstitution of the parliamentary republic in Greece in 1974. The clear-cut manner of her writing, her linguistic mastery, her humour and insightful point of view are the dominant characteristics of Alki Zei’s works. Many of them are inspired by her personal experiences, weaving their plot alongside historical events. With a life that spanned almost a full century, she never stopped writing and never lost the talent to speak to children in their own language, about difficult themes that children should (and do) understand better than everyone else. 1923-2020 Her numerous awards and nominations include: • Children’s Literature Greek State Prize • Nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award • Nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for Literature • Italy’s Premio Andersen • ALSC Mildred Batchelder • Academy of Athens Award for her body of work • Decorated by the President of the Greek Republic with the Golden Cross of the Order of Honour • Commander of the Order of Arts & Letters by the French Ministry of Culture A l k i Z e i Marking 100 years since Alki’s birth, 2023 is a major cultural anniversary for Greece. For more information on her life and work visit alkizei.com