The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Giorgos Seferis in 1963 for his lyrical writing, which identified a unifying strand of humanism within the continuity of Greek culture. As a career diplomat, Seferis maintained a dual life, balancing service in the Greek Foreign Ministry with the creation of poetry that navigated his identity as an exile.
Early Life and Education
Born in 1900 in Urla, Seferis moved with his family to Athens in 1914. He pursued higher education at the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne between 1918 and 1925. The collapse of his childhood home in Smyrna deeply influenced his literary output, fostering a recurring interest in the story of Odysseus and the condition of the displaced.
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Seferis joined the Greek Foreign Service and held numerous international positions throughout his life. His career included postings in the United Kingdom, Albania, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. Between 1957 and 1962, he served as the Ambassador to the United Kingdom, his final professional appointment before retiring to Athens.
The Cyprus Connection
During his first visit to Cyprus in 1953, Seferis found aesthetic and cultural parallels to his childhood home in Urla. This inspired his collection Imerologio Katastromatos III. Beyond his writing, he utilized his diplomatic status to seek a resolution to the political disputes concerning the island’s international status, occasionally merging his personal principles with his professional obligations.
Political Stance and Final Years
In 1969, while living under the Regime of the Colonels, Seferis issued a public declaration via the BBC World Service calling for an end to the political anomaly in Greece. He died in Athens on September 20, 1971, following complications from pneumonia and a stroke. He was buried at the First Cemetery of Athens, where crowds gathered to honor his opposition to the junta.
Fast facts
- Born: 1900, Urla
- Died: 1971, Athens
- Citizenship: Greece
- Nobel Prize in Literature: 1963
- Doctor honoris causa: University of Aix-Marseille, 1968
- Movement: Thirties Generation
- Burial site: First Cemetery of Athens
Questions readers ask
What was Seferis's profession besides writing?
He was a career diplomat in the Greek Foreign Service, eventually serving as an ambassador.
Did Seferis receive any academic honors?
Yes, he was awarded a doctor honoris causa from the University of Aix-Marseille in 1968.
Achievements
- Nobel Prize in Literature — 1963
