THanasis Valtinos

Thanasis Valtinos was born in Kastris, Kynouria, in 1932. Due to family relocations associated with the hardships of the occupation and post-occupation years, he attended high schools in Sparta, Gytheio, and Tripoli. In 1950, he moved to Athens, where he has lived ever since. He studied film. After 1974, he spent periods abroad in England, West Berlin, and the USA, invited by universities or other intellectual institutions. He translated Euripides' "The Trojan Women" and Aeschylus' "Oresteia," which were performed at Epidaurus in 1979 and 1980, respectively, by the Art Theatre, directed by Karolos Koun. He has written screenplays for cinema. In 1984, he was awarded the screenplay prize at the Cannes Film Festival for Theo Angelopoulos' film "Voyage to Cythera." In 1990, he was also honored with the State Novel Award for his book "Elements for the Decade of the '60s." He served as a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Society of Greek Playwrights, and the Society of Authors, where he was president for several years. He was the general director of the 2nd Channel of National Television from 1989 to 1990. On June 5, 2008, he was elected a regular member of the Academy of Athens, in the chair of Modern Greek Prose in the Class of Letters and Fine Arts. In December 2012, he was honored with the Grand State Literature Prize for his entire body of work. His published books include: - "The Book of Andreas Kordopatis, Book One: America," Kedros, 1972 - "The Descent of the Nine," Kedros, 1978 - "Three Greek One-Act Plays," Kedros, 1978 - "Addiction to Nicotine" [short story, in the volume] "Three Short Stories," Thanasis Valtinos, Christoforos Milionis, Dimitris Nollas, Stigmi - "Deep Blue Almost Black," Stigmi, 1985 - "Elements for the Decade of the '60s," Stigmi, 1989 - "You Will Find My Bones in the Rain," Short Stories, Agra, 1992 - "Woodcock Wings," Agra, 1993 - "Orthokosta," Agra, 1994 - "The Book of Andreas Kordopatis, Book Two: Balkans - '22," Oceanida, 2000 - "Diary 1836-2011," Oceanida, 2001 - "Addiction to Nicotine," Short Stories, Metaichmio, 2003 - "Flowers of the Abyss," Estia, 2008 - "The Last Varlamis," Estia, 2010 - "Anaplous," Estia, 2012 His works have been translated into many European languages.