Nikos Karouzos

Nikos Karouzos (1926-1990). Nikos Karouzos, son of Dimitris and Konstantina, née Pitsaki, was born in Nafplio. His father was a teacher involved in the National Liberation Front, persecuted during the civil war, and exiled after the Varkiza Agreement. His mother was the daughter of a clergyman and teacher. During his high school years, Karouzos was active in EPON and was exiled to Ikaria (1947) and Makronisos (1951), finally leaving in 1953 after a nervous breakdown. He married twice, first in 1955 to Maria Daraki, with whom he lived for only a few months, and then in 1963 to Mary Meimaraki, from whom he separated in 1980. From 1981 until the end of his life, he was accompanied by Eva Bei. He studied law and political science in Athens but did not complete his studies, as he had already turned to poetry in 1941. In 1949, he made his first official appearance in the literary world with the publication of his poem "Simon of Cyrene" in the magazine "Our Century." His first poetry collection, titled "The Return of Christ," was published in 1954. He became more widely known in literary circles in the 1960s with collections such as "The Deer of the Stars," "The Sleeping Bag," and "Mourning." Many more collections and comprehensive editions of his poems followed, culminating in his last poetic work "Levitation," written on August 29, 1990, at the Hygeia Hospital, where the poet was hospitalized for the last two years of his life, suffering from cancer. He collaborated with magazines such as "Nea Estia," "Athenian Letters," "Responsibility," "Spira," "Tomes," and "The Word." He was honored with the Second State Poetry Prize (1963), the Prize of the Group of Twelve (1963), the First National Poetry Prize, jointly with Takis Varvitsiotis and Miltos Sachtouris (1972), and the First State Poetry Prize (1988). For more biographical details on Nikos Karouzos, see I. M. Chatzifotis, "Karouzos N.D.," in "The Great Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature," vol. 8, Athens, Hari Patsi, n.d. [1968], Alexandros Argyriou, "Nikos Karouzos," in "Greek Poetry: The First Post-War Generation," Athens, Sokolis, 1982, Alexis Ziras, "Karouzos Nikos," in "World Biographical Dictionary," vol. 4, Athens, Ekdotiki Athinon, 1985, Kostis Papakongos, "Prisoner of Freedom," magazine "The Word," issues 88-89, 10-11/1989, Elisavet Lalloudaki, "Nikos Karouzos (1926-1990): Chronology," magazine "Diavazo," issue 393, 2/1999, and Alexis Ziras, "Karouzos, Nikos" in "Dictionary of Modern Greek Literature," Athens, Patakis Publications, 2007. (Source: Archive of Greek Authors, EKEBI).