Kostas Lachas

Kostas Lachas (1936-2014) was born in Kato Theodoraki, Kilkis, to parents who were refugees from Pontus. Since 1960, he lived in Thessaloniki. He worked successively at "Techni," in the secretariat of the National Theatre of Northern Greece (K.TH.B.E.), in the secretariat of the Film Festival, as a medical representative for a pharmaceutical company, and as an arts editor for the newspapers "Makedoniki Ora" and "Thessaloniki." Also known as a painter, he exhibited his works starting in 1962, and in 1972, he founded and directed until 1986 the gallery "Kochlias," the first professionally organized art space in Thessaloniki. From 1987 to 1995, he was the director of the Vellideio Cultural Center. He made his literary debut in 1964 and published the following books: "Pedion osfriseos" (Prose, 1964), "Meteikasmo, metaisthima" (Prose, 1986), "Askiseis epi ammodochou" (Prose, 1994, State Short Story Award), which is included in a collected edition along with his two previous books, and "Plous oneiron" (Autobiography, 1998). His writings have been translated into English, French, and German. His song lyrics were set to music by Thanos Mikroutsikos and performed by Dimitra Galani and Dimitris Mitropanos.