Odysseas Elytis established his reputation within the Thirties Generation, a movement that reshaped Greek literary expression during the mid-twentieth century. Best known for his seminal work Axion Esti, he navigated a career defined by poetry, translation, and art criticism, eventually becoming a representative of modern Greek letters on the international stage during his long residency in Athens and Paris.
Early Development and War Service
Born in Heraklion in 1911, Elytis moved to Athens as a child. He enrolled at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens but abandoned his legal studies to pursue poetry. During the Second World War, he served as a Second Lieutenant on the front lines. After contracting typhus in 1941, he survived a perilous recovery in Ioanina and Agrinio before returning to occupied Athens.
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His initial poems appeared in the journal New Letters in 1935, where he adopted the pseudonym Elytis. He became a central figure in Greek literary circles, maintaining a lifelong association with the Hellenic Authors' Society. His work gained international prominence later in his career, culminating in the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979 and an honorary doctorate from the Paris-Sorbonne University in 1980.
Public Roles and Later Years
Beyond his creative writing, Elytis held administrative positions including serving as Programme Director for the Greek National Radio Foundation twice. During the military junta period, he lived in voluntary exile in Paris from 1969 to 1972. He returned to Athens, where he continued his work as a translator and librettist until his death in 1996. He was buried at the First Cemetery of Athens.
Fast facts
- Born: 1911, Heraklion
- Died: 1996, Athens
- Primary Field: Poetry
- Nobel Prize in Literature: 1979
- Notable Work: Axion Esti
- Notable Affiliation: Hellenic Authors' Society
- Education: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Burial Site: First Cemetery of Athens
Questions readers ask
What was his primary contribution to literature?
Elytis was a poet, translator, art critic, and librettist who helped define the Thirties Generation of Greek writers.
Where did he spend his final years?
After returning from exile in Paris in 1972, he lived in an apartment on Skoufa street in Athens until his death in 1996.
Achievements
- Nobel Prize in Literature — 1979
- Worked as translator, poet and art critic
