Tasos CHatzitatsis

Tasos Chatzitatsis (1945-2008) was born and lived in Thessaloniki. He worked for many years as a dentist. He made his literary debut in 1984 with short stories published in the magazine "Chartis." He also collaborated with the magazines "Entefktirio" (as a key contributor), "Ypostego," "Parafyada," and, as a critic, with the newspaper "Ta Nea." He published the books: "Eleven Sicilian Vespers" ("Entefktirio," Thessaloniki 1997), "In the Sling" ("Entefktirio," Thessaloniki 2000), "Like Broken Wings" ("Polis," Athens 2003), "Monoxylon in the River" ("Polis," Athens 2006), "Memory Exercises" (a reissue of his first two short story collections, "Polis," Athens 2008). In 1998, he was awarded the debut prose writer prize by the magazine "Diavazo" for his first book, and in 2004, he received the novel award from the same magazine for "Like Broken Wings." He was married to ceramic artist Lina Chatzitatsis, with whom he had two children. He passed away in Thessaloniki on November 7, 2008, after a brief battle with cancer. The publisher of "Entefktirio," Giorgos Kordomenidis, wrote on the magazine's page: "Tasos Chatzitatsis passed away this morning (Friday, November 7), a person of rare quality, a talented writer, a valuable collaborator of 'Entefktirio,' and a good friend. As clichéd as it may sound, his death makes the Greek literary community poorer and plunges all of us who interacted with him, knew him, and loved him into deep sorrow" (http://entefktirio.blogspot.com).