Dimitris Petsetidis

Dimitris Petsetidis (1940-2017) was born in Sparta. He studied mathematics at the University of Athens and worked in private education as a tutor. From 1964 to 1983, he began publishing his cartoons in Athens-based magazines and newspapers such as "Tachydromos," "Epikaira," "Ta Nea," "Kiriakatiki Eleftherotypia," "Exormisi," "Pontiki," and others. Later, he collaborated with "Anti" (from 2001 until its last issue on April 11, 2008) and more recently with the newspaper "Epohi." In 1973, he was the editor of the magazine of the Hellenic Mathematical Society (HMS), "Euclid B'." His first short stories were published in the newspaper "Ta Nea" in 1977. Simultaneously, he began contributing to literary magazines such as "To Dentro," "Giati," "I Lexi," and others with short stories, comments, and sketches, a pursuit he later commented on his website, www.petsetidis.gr. His short story titled "Sparta Railway Station" received an honorable mention in the 2nd Panhellenic competition of the newspaper "I Kathimerini" in 1981. From 1983, he settled permanently in Sparta. In 1986, his first collection of short stories, "Twelve for a Dime" (published by "To Dentro," second edition by "Nefeli," 1999), was released. This was followed by collections of short stories: "The Game," published by "Nefeli," 1991, "Epilogue in the Snow," published by "Nefeli," 1993, "Sabbates Lives," published by "Nefeli," 1998, "On Foreign Ground," published by "Patakis," 2003, "Rabid Foxes," published by Kedros, 2007, "At Home," published by Metaichmio, 2012, "Times Four," published by Estia, 2014, and the novella "Tropic of Leo," published by "Nefeli," 2001, which established him as one of the most important contemporary writers in the field of short form. He was a member of the Society of Authors. In 2011, he was honored with the Kostas and Eleni Ouranis Prize by the Academy of Athens for his entire literary work. His short stories have been translated into English and German. He passed away in Sparta on April 14, 2017, at the age of 76.