Pinelopi Delta

Penelope Delta was born in 1874 in Alexandria. She spent her childhood and youth in an aristocratic family environment, strictly patriarchal, with strong traditional Greek principles and customs. Educated at home by tutors, she acquired general schooling and learned foreign languages and Greek, which she disliked because the books were written in Katharevousa. In 1895, she married Stefanos Delta, with whom she had three daughters. In 1916, the Delta family settled in Athens. Their social and friendly circle included the most cultivated literary figures, educators, and thinkers of their time, as well as prominent political personalities such as Eleftherios Venizelos and Nikolaos Plastiras. During both the Balkan Wars and the Greco-Italian War, Penelope Delta rendered significant services by caring for refugees and the wounded. She herself suffered from paralysis, which began in 1925 and became total towards the end of her life. Perhaps her condition, combined with the blow caused by the German invasion of Athens, led her to despair: She committed suicide on May 2, 1941. Penelope Delta was a remarkable author. More than 60 years have passed since she wrote her books for children. Yet, these books continue to captivate young readers with their liveliness, thrilling adventures, and vivid descriptions of historical events.