Rena Rossi - Zairi

Rena Rossi-Zairi was born in Athens. She is the daughter of Nikolaos Rossi of the publishing house bearing his name and the granddaughter of philologist and author Ioannis Th. Rossi. She graduated with honors from the American College for Girls, the Athens Kindergarten Teachers’ School, and holds a diploma from the London Montessori Centre (Nursery Infant Teaching Diploma). She has worked as a kindergarten teacher, publishing manager, and translator. She is a member of the Circle of Greek Children’s Books and the Women’s Literary Society. She has translated more than 750 children’s and young adult books and has written over 200 children’s books and 20 books for adults. Her works have been published mainly by Psichogios Publications, as well as other publishers, and have sold over 1,300,000 copies. In 1985, she received a Commendation from the Women’s Literary Society for her book Ten Little Drops of the Sea, and in 2002 she was nominated by the Circle of Greek Children’s Books for inclusion in the IBBY Honour List for her translation work. She has also been awarded by the Hellenic Society of Literary Translators for her overall contribution to children’s literature. In 2015, she received the Literature Award from the Piraeus Women’s Club “Exaliptron” for the impact of her work and her close, interactive relationship with her readers. That same year, her novel Twin Moons won the PUBLIC Readers’ Choice Award, while in 2023 Almyra – Happiness Otherwise won the PUBLIC Bookstores Novel Award. Two of her books, Twin Moons and Stars in the Sand, have been adapted for television. She has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, discussing topics related to children and their issues. She is married and the mother of two children.