Alexandros Kotzias

Alexandros Kotzias (1926-1992). Alexandros Kotzias was born in Athens, the second son of Panagiotis Kotzias from Dimitsana and Xeni Alexandropoulou from Chalkida. His family was wealthy but was financially ruined during the German occupation, following the death of his father in 1936. Alexandros studied law at the University of Athens from 1943 to 1947 but did not graduate, as he was not interested in the field. During the civil war, he contracted tuberculosis, and his family home was looted and set on fire. During his military service (1948-1952), he visited many parts of Greece, and from 1950 to 1956, he and his older brother Kostas turned to construction businesses. He made his debut in literature in 1943 with the publication of a short story in the magazine "Student Letters" and more officially ten years later with publications of translations and novels, while also professionally engaging in journalism and literary criticism (1956-1982). During the Papadopoulos dictatorship, he participated in resistance organizations and collaborated on the publications "18 Texts," "New Texts I," "New Texts II," and the magazine "Continuation." He worked with the newspapers "Mesimvrini" and "To Vima" and from 1975 to 1982 undertook the editorial management of "Philological Kathimerini." He also served as the director of the press office of the Greek Embassy in London and as a director and special advisor to the General Secretariat of Press and Information. He married Eleni Apostolou, with whom he had two children. He was a founding member of the Society of Authors, serving as vice president (1982-1984) and advisor (1986). He was awarded the First State Prize for Novel (1987 for his work "Imaginary Adventure"). His work is dominated by political and social concerns regarding modern Greek history, from the German occupation and the Civil War to the fall of the April dictatorship and contemporary times. For more biographical details on Alexandros Kotzias, see Manolis Gialourakis, "Kotzias Alexandros," in "The Great Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature," vol. 9, Athens: Haris Patsis, n.d., Alexis Ziras, "Kotzias Alexandros," in "World Biographical Dictionary," vol. 5, Athens: Ekdotiki Athinon, 1986, P.A. Zannas, "Alexandros Kotzias," in "Postwar Prose; from the War of '40 to the Dictatorship of '67," vol. D, Athens: Sokolis, 1988, pp. 142-223, and Alexis Ziras, "Kotzias Alexandros," in "Dictionary of Modern Greek Literature," Athens: Patakis Publications, 2007, pp. 1135-1136. (Source: Archive of Greek Authors, EKEBI)