Melpo Axioti (Greek: Μέλπω Αξιώτη; 15 July 1905 – 22 May 1973) was a Greek writer who professed to Communism. She wrote in modern Greek. She spent most of her exile from 1947 to 1964, in the German Democratic Republic.
The daughter of musician and composer Georgios Axiotis, she was raised on the Greek island of Mykonos without a mother. From 1918 to 1922 she attended the school of the Ursulines on the island of Tinos. After a short marriage with her theology professor Vassilis Markaris she went to Athens in 1930, where she soon debuted with short stories in the magazine Mykoniatika Chronika. She was one of the pioneers of Greek surrealism. In 1937 her first novel Heavy Nights was published and she received in 1939 the 1st Prize of the Women's Association of Letters and Arts.
In the meantime she had become a member of the Communist Party of Greece. During the Axis occupation of Greece she participated in the underground work of the communist-controlled National Liberation Front. With the persecution of communists during the Greek Civil War, in 1947 she went to exile in France, where she became acquainted with the likes of Louis Aragon, Pablo Neruda and Pablo Picasso. Expelled in 1950, she found admission in the GDR, interrupted only by short stay in Warsaw. While teaching Modern Greek and History of Modern Greek Literature at the Humboldt University of Berlin, several books of Axioti were translated and published by GDR publishers.
Her much-read novel about the 20th century (from 1946) deals with the uncompromising and correspondingly loss-resisting resistance of Greek women to fascism (and the German Wehrmacht). The poetry collection Kontrabandp (1959) leads to friendship and cooperation with Yiannis Ritsos. In 1964 Axioti receives an official entry permit to return to her homeland. However, increasingly struggling with illnesses, dying in 1973 and being buried in the Zografou cemetery. In 1989, Gay Aggeli presented a 35-minute documentary titled The Life and Work of Melpo Axioti.
Works
Among her most notable works were:
Dyskoles Nychtes (Heavy Nights), novel, 1937
Symptosi (Coincidence), Long Poem, 1939
Thelete na chorepsoume, Maria? (Maria, would you like to dance with me?), novel, 1940
Apantisi se pente erotimata (Answer to Five Questions), historical chronicle 1945
Syntrofoi, Kalimera! (Good day, comrades!), short stories, 1953 (German In the shadow of the Acropolis, Berlin 1955)
Kontrabando (Contraband), 1959 (German Contraband: Eine Dichtung, Berlin 1961)
Kadmo, prose piece, Athens 1972
References
C. Robinson: Greece, in: M. Arkin & Barbara Shollar (eds.): Longman Anthology of World Literature by Women: 1875 – 1975, New York 1989
Maria Kakavoulia: Interior monologue and its discursive formation in Melpo Axioti's Dyskoles nychtes, Institute of Byzantine and Modern Greek philology of the University of Munich 1992
Melpo Axioti, Mimika Kranaki: Writing in Exile, in: E. Close, M. Tsianikas, G. Frazis (eds.): Greek Research in Australia: Proceedings of the 4th Biennial Conference of Greek Studies, Flinders University Adelaide 2003, pp. 359–380
Externalizing Internal Experiences: Interior Monologue in Virginia Woolf's „Mrs Dalloway“ and Melpo Axioti's „Difficult Nights“, King's College London, Dissertation 2009
melpo, axioti, this, article, includes, list, references, related, reading, external, links, sources, remain, unclear, because, lacks, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, october, 2022, learn, when, r. This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations October 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed October 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Melpo Axioti Greek Melpw A3iwth 15 July 1905 22 May 1973 was a Greek writer who professed to Communism She wrote in modern Greek She spent most of her exile from 1947 to 1964 in the German Democratic Republic Melpo AxiotiNative nameMelpw A3iwthBorn15 July 1905 1905 07 15 Kalamata GreeceDied22 May 1973 1973 05 22 aged 67 Athens GreeceOccupationpoetLanguageGreekNationalityGreekAlma materNational and Kapodistrian University of AthensLiterary movementneo romanticim Contents 1 Life and work 2 Works 3 References 4 External linksLife and work EditThe daughter of musician and composer Georgios Axiotis she was raised on the Greek island of Mykonos without a mother From 1918 to 1922 she attended the school of the Ursulines on the island of Tinos After a short marriage with her theology professor Vassilis Markaris she went to Athens in 1930 where she soon debuted with short stories in the magazine Mykoniatika Chronika She was one of the pioneers of Greek surrealism In 1937 her first novel Heavy Nights was published and she received in 1939 the 1st Prize of the Women s Association of Letters and Arts In the meantime she had become a member of the Communist Party of Greece During the Axis occupation of Greece she participated in the underground work of the communist controlled National Liberation Front With the persecution of communists during the Greek Civil War in 1947 she went to exile in France where she became acquainted with the likes of Louis Aragon Pablo Neruda and Pablo Picasso Expelled in 1950 she found admission in the GDR interrupted only by short stay in Warsaw While teaching Modern Greek and History of Modern Greek Literature at the Humboldt University of Berlin several books of Axioti were translated and published by GDR publishers Her much read novel about the 20th century from 1946 deals with the uncompromising and correspondingly loss resisting resistance of Greek women to fascism and the German Wehrmacht The poetry collection Kontrabandp 1959 leads to friendship and cooperation with Yiannis Ritsos In 1964 Axioti receives an official entry permit to return to her homeland However increasingly struggling with illnesses dying in 1973 and being buried in the Zografou cemetery In 1989 Gay Aggeli presented a 35 minute documentary titled The Life and Work of Melpo Axioti Works EditAmong her most notable works were Dyskoles Nychtes Heavy Nights novel 1937 Symptosi Coincidence Long Poem 1939 Thelete na chorepsoume Maria Maria would you like to dance with me novel 1940 Apantisi se pente erotimata Answer to Five Questions historical chronicle 1945 Eikostos Aionas 20th century novel 1946 Berlin 1949 plus French Bulgarian Czech Polish Italian Syntrofoi Kalimera Good day comrades short stories 1953 German In the shadow of the Acropolis Berlin 1955 Kontrabando Contraband 1959 German Contraband Eine Dichtung Berlin 1961 Kadmo prose piece Athens 1972References EditC Robinson Greece in M Arkin amp Barbara Shollar eds Longman Anthology of World Literature by Women 1875 1975 New York 1989 Maria Kakavoulia Interior monologue and its discursive formation in Melpo Axioti s Dyskoles nychtes Institute of Byzantine and Modern Greek philology of the University of Munich 1992 Melpo Axioti Mimika Kranaki Writing in Exile in E Close M Tsianikas G Frazis eds Greek Research in Australia Proceedings of the 4th Biennial Conference of Greek Studies Flinders University Adelaide 2003 pp 359 380 Externalizing Internal Experiences Interior Monologue in Virginia Woolf s Mrs Dalloway and Melpo Axioti s Difficult Nights King s College London Dissertation 2009External links EditLiterature by and about Melpō Axiōte in the German National Library catalogue Greek Wikisource has original text related to this article Melpo AxiotiPortals Greece Biography Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Melpo Axioti amp oldid 1133077118, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
