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Odysseus Elytis, recipient of the 1979 Nobel Prize for Literature, was born to a wealthy family in Iraklion, Crete. His original name was Odysseus Alepoudhelis. He used the pseudonym to distinguish his writing from the family soap manufaturing business. He attended the University of Athens School of Law, but he dropped out to pursue his literary career. He later worked for the newspaper KATHIMERINI. Following World War II he worked for the National Broadcasiting Institute.
Nicknamed "the sun-drinking poet," Elytis' work reflects the influence of the French Surrealism movement. His first volume of poetry, PROSANATOLISMOI (ORIENTATIONS), was published when he was 29. He gained an international reputation with ASTHMA IROIKA KE PENTHIMO GHIA TON HAMENO ANTHIPOLOCHAGO TIS ALVANIS (HEROIC AND ELEGIAC SONG FOR THE LOST SECOND LIEUTENANT OF THE ALBANIAN CAMPAIGN). He was the first Greek to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Odysseus Elytis died in Athens, Greece in 1996.
CHRONOLOGY
1911 He was born in Iraklion, Crete.
1914 He moved with his family to Athens.
1930 He began attending the University of Athens School of Law.
1940 PROSANATOLISMOI (ORIENTATIONS); He was drafted into the Greek army.
1941 He joined the antifascist resistance in Albania.
1943 ASTHMA IROIKA KE PENTHIMO GHIA TON HAMENO ANTHIPOLOCHAGO TIS ALVANIS (HEROIC AND ELEGIAC SONG FOR THE LOST SECOND LIEUTENANT OF THE ALBANIAN CAMPAIGN); ILIOS OF PROTOS, MAZI ME TIS PARALLAYIES SE MIAN AHTIDHA (SUN THE FIRST, TOGETHER WITH VARIATIONS OF A SUNBEAM)
1948 He moved to Paris.
1953 He returned to Greece.
1959 TO AXION ESTI (THE AXION ESTI OF ODYSSEUS ELITIS)
1960 EXI KE MIA TIPSIS YIA TON OURANO (SIX AND ONE REMORSES FOR THE SKY); He was awarded the National Prize in Poetry.
1971 O ILIOS O ILIATORES (THE SOVEREIGN SUN); TO MONOGHRAMMA (THE MONOGRAM); TO FOTODENDRO KE I DEKATI TETARTI OMORFIA (THE LIGHT TREE AND THE FOURTEENTH BEAUTY)
1972 TA RO TOU EROTA
1974 TA ETEROTHALI; ANIHTA HARTIA; THE STEPCHILDREN; I MAYIIA TOU PAPADHIAMANDI
1978 MARIA NEFELI (MARIA NEPHELE)
1979 He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
1981 ODYSSEUS ELYTIS: SELECTED POEMS; ODYSSEUS ELYTIS: ANALOGIES OF LIGHT
1986 WHAT I LOVE: SELECTED POEMS; HO MIKROS NAUTILOS (THE LITTLE MARINER)
1995 OPEN PAPERS
1996 He died in Athens, Greece. (March 18)
1997 COLLECTED POEMS
1998 EROS, EROS, EROS: SELECTED AND LAST POEMS
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