The new book by George Leontaritis, "Journalism and Literature of the Left," has been published by Agra Publications, following his study from 2013 "Yannis Maris and His Era."

"The leftist newspapers have their own long history within the press of Greece. However, the leftist publications of the past that we experienced have nothing in common with today's. Different conditions back then, different people, and different quality. In difficult times, leftist journalism took on an 'apostolic' role, informing, educating, guiding, and inspiring. You couldn't openly read your newspaper, as informers or police officers were lurking, resulting in a sudden trip to detention or the road to exile. Certainly, you would end up with a 'file' in the Security. We worked cramped in small offices, with non-existent or meager salaries, but we were ignited by faith in ideals. Reporting at that time came with dangers. To fulfill his mission, the journalist had to overcome countless obstacles. Especially in the provinces, the dangers multiplied. We awaited anxiously the phone reports from our correspondents, as we didn't know if they were free or if they had been arrested. Young as we were, we were fortunate to work alongside the great figures of the intellectual left: Varnaelis, Tasos Leivaditis, Vournas, Gerasimos Stavrou, and many more. We gazed at them in awe and learned much in their shadow. Then we enjoyed the vibrant manuscript and the magic of the printing house, with inks and smudges amidst the roar of machines and smoke. And you felt a warmth when in the factories, in the informal settlements battered by the wind, and in the ports, the working-class embraced you lovingly, because you were the journalist who brought to light the voice and the passions of the 'damned of the Earth'... This magical yet forgotten atmosphere of another era will be discovered by the reader in this book..."

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

George A. Leontaritis, journalist and author, was born in Athens (of Minor Asian descent) and from a very young age engaged in all types of journalism at various newspapers. Since 1956, he has worked as a reporter, political editor, columnist, and chief editor, while also writing historical readings, many of which were published in installments in newspapers and others released in books. For many years, G. A. Leontaritis served as vice president and general secretary of the Union of Daily Newspaper Editors of Athens (ESHEA), was a member of the "Panagiotis Kanellopoulos" Literary Foundation, and has been honored by the "Union of Smyrnaeans" for his contribution to the research of Minor Asian Hellenism. The author of the book lived very close to political figures who dominated the decades of the 1950s and 1960s, researched, studied, and gathered information on historical events that shook the course of this land and brought to light many unknown behind-the-scenes insights that give another dimension to critical chapters of our History.

George Leontaritis was fortunate not only to work closely with YANNIS MARIS but also to be closely connected with him from the mid-1960s until the death of the beloved author. As a student and friend of his, with the close bond that can unite two people, even of different ages, he has many memories from a fascinating journey alongside his 'teacher' in journalism. Agra Publications has released his book "Yannis Maris and His Era" (2013).