Agelos Terzakis

Angelos Terzakis (1907-1978). Angelos Terzakis was born in Nafplio, the son of the then-mayor of the city, Dimitrios Terzakis, and Angeliki Panopoulou. In 1915, he moved with his family to Athens, where he completed his general education and enrolled in the Law School of the University, earning his doctorate in 1927. From 1929, he practiced law for two years. In 1925, he made his literary debut with the publication of his short story collection "The Forgotten." In 1929, he published "Autumn Symphony." This was followed by the release of his novel "Captives," which, along with Thrassos Kastanakis's "The Prince," was considered by critics as one of the first prose works of the '30s generation. His work "The Decline of the Harsh" was praised by Kostis Palamas, while "The Violet City" was published with great success in 1937. In 1936, he married Louiza Vogasari, with whom he had a son, Dimitris. That same year, his Byzantine tragedy "Emperor Michael" was staged at the National Theatre. In 1937, he took on the role of Secretary at the National Theatre, where he held various administrative positions, eventually becoming the acting general director (he remained as the director of the dramaturgy department until 1960, a position he took in 1940). From 1940 until the end of the war, he served on the Albanian Front. He was honored with the State Theatre Award (1939), the First State Novel Award (1958 for "The Secret Life"), the Essay Award of the Twelve (1964 for the essay volume "Orientation in the Century"), and the Academy of Athens Literary Prize (1969, for "The Mystery of Iago"). He traveled to Romania (1958), the Soviet Union (1959), the USA (1966, where he lectured at Princeton and Tufts Universities), Hungary (1966), and the Rhine (1974). He served as a cultural advisor to the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1966) and was elected a member of the Academy of Athens (1974). Angelos Terzakis's literary work is characterized by the tragic, stemming from the inevitable destruction to which his characters are led. Influenced by authors such as Knut Hamsun, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Demosthenes Voutyras, he created characters unable to react to the misery of their lives, suffocating in their family and broader social environments, representing the author's sense of disappointment and resignation. He placed hope in ideals that transcend political and other categorizations, as well as in the realm of metaphysical exploration. Notable works include "Princess Izabo," "The Secret Life," and "The Violet City," while his significant essay work also influenced both literary and theatrical production. His plays were performed by the National Theatre and various other troupes in Greece and abroad. His works have been translated into foreign languages, and he himself translated works by Joseph Conrad, Ben Jonson, Henri Bergson, and Euripides. He was the director of the short-lived literary magazines "Breath" and "Word" (1929) and the magazine "Epochs" (1963), and from 1947, he regularly contributed to the newspaper "To Vima." He passed away in Athens. For more biographical details on Angelos Terzakis, see Ziras Alex., "Terzakis Angelos," World Biographical Dictionary 9b. Athens, Ekdotiki Athinon, 1988; Berlis Aris, "Angelos Terzakis," Interwar Prose: From the First to the Second World War (1914-1939) VIII, pp. 188-213. Athens, Sokolis, 1993; Terzakis Angelos, "Biographical Note," Nea Estia 108, Christmas 1980, no. 1283, pp. 2-4; Pharmakis Fr., "Terzakis Angelos," Great Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature 12. Athens, Hari Patsi, n.d.; and "Chronography of Angelos Terzakis," Tribute to Angelos Terzakis: For His Seventieth Birthday, Responsibility Notebooks 4, 12/1977, pp. 101-103 (Source: Archive of Greek Writers, EKEBI).