The Ministry of Culture and Sports announces the 2022 State Prizes for Literature,

Literary Translation and Children's Book (for the 2021 editions).

The State Literary Awards, an institution of prestige and substance in the field of literature, are the State's practical recognition of the work and contribution of authors and aim to promote and disseminate Greek writing and thought and to support Greek book production.

The procedure is governed by the legislation governing the institution of the State Awards

The prizes are awarded to authors who have served the Art of Writing with their pen and have distinguished themselves for the originality of their writing, technique, narrative excellence, aesthetic quality and themes that promote dialogue on sensitive social issues.

In detail, they are announced today:

Ι. I. STATE LITERATURE AWARDS 2022

The Grand Prize for Literature is awarded to Maria Laina for her overall contribution to Literature.

The State Novel Prize 2022 is awarded by a majority to Sotiris Demetriou for his work Sky from other places, Patakis Publications.

The State Prize for Short Story – Novel 2022 is awarded by a majority to Nasia Dionysiou for her work What is a Campos, Polis Publications.

The State Poetry Prize 2022 is awarded by a majority to Thanasis Hatzopoulos for his work Under Construction Flags, Polis Publications.

The 2022 State Prize for Essay – Criticism is awarded by a majority to Panagis Panagiotopoulos for his work Adventures of the Middle Class.

Sociological recordings in Greece in the late post-opolution period, Epikentro Publications.

  The State Prize for Testimony – Biography – Chronicle – Travel Literature 2022 is awarded by a majority of half of the award to Tasoula Verveniotis for her work The civilians of the Greek Civil War. The Dynamics of Memory, Koukkida Publications, and Christos Christidis, for his work Georgios Kartalis, published by the Foundation of the Hellenic Parliament.

The Special State Prize 2022, for a book that significantly promotes dialogue on sensitive social issues, is awarded by a majority to Hilda Papadimitriou, for her work Guilty until proven innocent, Metaixmio

Publications.

It should be noted that, for the year 2022, the relevant Committee unanimously decided not to award the State Prize for Emerging Writer up to 35 years of age and an honorary distinction to a literary magazine.

1. STATE PRIZES FOR LITERARY TRANSLATION 2022

  The State Prize for the Translation of Foreign Literature into Greek 2022 is awarded to George Kentrotis, for his translation of Georg Trakl's work, All the Poems, Rome Publications.

  The State Prize for the Translation of Ancient Greek Literature into Modern Greek 2022 is awarded to Nikolaos P. Bezantakos, for the translation of the work Anthology of Ancient Greek Erotic Literature (Vol. A Poetry & Vol. B Prose), published by the Association for the Promotion of Beneficial Books.

  The State Prize for the Translation of a Work in Greek into a Foreign Language 2022 is awarded equally to Panos Karagiorgos, for the translation of the work Kostis Palamas/Poetic Anthology, Philyra Publications, and to Loïc Marcou, for the translation of the work of Dido Sotiriou, Electra, H & O éditions.

III. STATE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS 2022

The majority of the 2022 State Prize for Children's Literary Book is awarded to Argyro Pipini for her work entitled Zaza (illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis), Kaleidoscope Publications.

The majority of the 2022 State Prize for Young People's Literary Book 2022 is awarded to Manos Kontoleontas for his work entitled The Mask of Capitano, Pataki Publications.

  The State Prize for Illustrated Children's Book 2022 is awarded by a majority to the illustrator Persa Zacharias and the author Myrto Kalofolia for the work entitled Solitary Affair, Kaleidoscope Publications.

  The 2022 State Book Prize for Children's Knowledge is awarded by a majority of half of the winners to Angeliki Darlasi for the work entitled The Great Ones…. The little ones: the scientists (illustrated by Sophia Papadopoulou), Metaixmio Publications, and to Vassia Exarchou for the work entitled The Cyclades Cycle (illustrated by Vassia Exarchou, Dimitris

Dourabeis, Anni Dadouki), Kedros Publications.

The composition of the relevant committees is listed:

Committee for the annual Literature Awards and the Grand Prize for Literature, the

Emerging Author Award, the Special Thematic Award and the Essay – Testimonial

Awards

1. Alkisti Sofou, Associate Professor of Modern Greek Institute at the

Department of Classical Studies of the University of Sorbonne, President

2. Sophia-Labrini Denisi, Professor of History and Literary Criticism at the

Athens School of Fine Arts, Vice-President

3. Anastasia Natsina, Assistant Professor of Modern Greek Literature at the

Department of Literature, University of Crete, Member.

4. Dimitris Athinakis, Writer, Member
5. Elias Kafaoglou, Writer, Member
6. Andreas Mitsou, Writer, Member
7. Nikos Vatopoulos, Critic, Member
8. Kostas Karavidas, Critic, Member
9. Lina Pantaleon, Critic, Member

Committee for the State Literary Translation Prizes

1. Ioannis Tsolkas, Professor of History of Italian Literature and European Culture at

the Department of Italian Language and Literature of the National and Kapodistrian

University of Athens (Member of the Board of Directors of the University of Athens,

with a subject related to literature), President

2. Vassilios Sabatakakis, Associate Professor of Modern Greek Studies at Lund

University (Sweden), President of the European Society of Modern Greek Studies,

Modernist, Vice President

3. Rubini Demopoulou, Permanent Assistant Professor of Medieval and Renaissance

Latin Literature in the Department of Classical Literature of the Faculty of Philosophy

of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Member of the Board of

Directors of the Faculty of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of

Athens), Member of the Board of Directors of the Department of Philosophy of the

Faculty of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Member of the Board of Directors of the Department of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Member of the Board of Directors of the Department of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Member of the Board of Directors of the Department of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

4. Dimitrios Filias, Professor of Literary Translation at the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation & Interpretation of the Ionian University (Member of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Translation & Interpretation, Ionian University), Member

5. Moschos Morfakidis-Fylaktos, Professor of Greek Philology at the University of Granada, Director of the Centre for Byzantine, Modern Greek and Cypriot Studies, Neohellenist, Member
6. Konstantinos Kalfopoulos, Critic, Member
7. Konstantinos Bouras, Critic, Member
8. Maria Kitroev, Translator, Member
9. Kleanthi-Ismeni (Claiti) Sotiriadou, Translator, Member

Committee for the State Children's Book Awards

1. Melpomene (Meni) Kanatsouli, Professor of the Department of Early Childhood Education and Education of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, President
2. Tasoula Tsilimeni, Professor of the Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Thessaly, Greece, Author, Vice President
3. Anastasia (Soula) Economidou, Associate Professor of the Department of Early Childhood Education, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, Member.
4. Ioannis Papadatos, Associate Professor of the Department of Early Childhood Education and Educational Planning of the University of the Aegean, Critic, Member
5. Dimitrios Politis, Associate Professor of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Education of the University of Patras, Member
6. Zoe Koskinidou, Critic, Member
7. Evstathia (Teti) Solou, Illustrator, Member
8. Prodromos (Makis) Tsitas, Writer, Member
9. Achilleas-Alexandros Razis, Illustrator, Member

COMMITTEE FOR STATE LITERARY AWARDS

STATE PRIZES 2022 FOR THE PUBLISHING YEAR 2021

AWARD RATIONALE

At its meeting on December 15, 2022, the State Literary Awards Committee 2022 for the publishing year 2021, reached the following decisions:

The Grand Prize for Literature is awarded to Maria Laina for the overall contribution

of her work in the field of literature.

Poet, prose writer, playwright, translator, editor, editor, anthologist, professor, radio

producer – Maria Laina (Patras, 1947), since 1968 -when she first appeared with the

pro-iconic collection Adulsification-, has been devoted to words, her own and

others', creating until today a special, recognizable and hospitable aspect within

reality, and not only the literary one.



 The majority of the Novel Prize is awarded to Sotiris Demetriou's book,

Heaven from other places (Pataki Publications).

 Also discussed and voted on were Christos Armando Gezos' novel, Lost Needle (Metaichmio Publications) and Phaedon Tamvakakis' novel, The Last Poster (Vibliopolyon tis Estia Publications).

 

 The Prize in the Short Story-Novel category is awarded by a majority to Nasia Dionysiou for her book What is a Camp (Polis Publications).

 The novels by Vassilis Tsiabousis The Garden of Souls (published by Bookstore of Estia) and Maria Mitsora's Lady Tasia and William Katavathos (published by Pataki) were also discussed at length and put to the vote.

 The 2021 State Poetry Prize for Publications is awarded by a majority to Thanasis Hatzopoulos for his collection Under Construction Flags (Polis Publications), the fifteenth book of poetry by the psychiatrist, writer and translator.

 Danae Sioziou's collection Probable Lanscapes (Antipodes ed.) was discussed and put to a final vote, for which, in only her second collection, she has created a distinctive voice in our contemporary poetry scene. With tender cynicism, lyrical economy, gendered confession and rescue of memory, Danae Sioziou (b. 1987) delivers contingent landscapes that may be common to all of us.



 The Essay – Criticism Prize is awarded by majority vote to Panagios Panagiotopoulos for his work Adventures of the Middle Class. Sociological recordings in Greece in the late post-communist period (Epikentro publications).

 Also discussed and included in the final vote was the study by Demosthenes Kourtovic The olive and the linden tree: Greece and the World, the Individual and History in Greek Prose 1974-2020 (Pataki Publications)  The State Prize in the category Testimony – Biography – Chronicle – Travel

Literature is awarded by a majority of half of the winners to Tasoula Verveniotis for her book The civilians of the Greek Civil War. The Dynamicsof Memory (Koukkida, 2021) and Christos Christidis for his book Georgios

Kartalis (Foundation of the Hellenic Parliament, 2021).  The book by Sakis Serrefas, Thessaloniki's Travelogue, was also discussed and put to a vote. Walking in the city differently (Metaixmio), a sort of eccentric travelogue of Thessaloniki, with short stops-narratives in the unseen, "other", but with traces of a distinct and significant history of the

city. Micro-history spills over into History in the long run, and it is this that preserves the starry landscape of Thessaloniki.

 The output of first-time writers up to 35 years of age was not particularly satisfactory. For this reason, the Committee unanimously decided not to award a State Prize for Emerging Writers up to 35 years of age. Once again, the age limit of 35 years excluded debut authors with notable books.

 The Special Award to authors whose books promote dialogue on sensitive social issues is awarded by a majority to the novel by Hilda Papadimitriou, Guilty until proven innocent (Metaixmio Publications).



Finally, the Commission unanimously decided not to award an honorary distinction to a literary magazine. The form and function of literary journals has changed and itwould be desirable for the law to follow these changes.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE STATE LITERARY TRANSLATION AWARDS 2022

(2021 editions)

AWARD RATIONALE

The State Literary Translation Awards Committee 2022 (2021 editions) announces the rationale for awarding the winning books, by category:

1. A) The State Prize for the Translation of a Work of Foreign Literature into Greek 2022, is awarded to Mr. George Kentrotis, for the translation of Georg Trakl's work, All the Poems, Rome Publications, Thessaloniki.
2. B) The State Prize for the Translation of Ancient Greek Literature into Modern Greek 2022, is awarded to Mr. Nikolaos P. Bezantakos, for the translation of the work Anthology of Ancient Greek Erotic Literature (Vol. A' Poetry & Vol. B' Prose), published by the Association for the Promotion of Good Books, Athens.
3. C) The State Prize for the Translation of a Work in Greek into a Foreign Language 2021 is awarded equally to Mr Panos Karagiorgos, for the translation of the work Kostis Palamas/Poetic Anthology, Philyra Publications, Athens and to Mr Loïc Marcou, for the translation of the work Dido Sotiriou, Electra, H&O Publications, Montpellier. Dido Sotiriou, Electra, H&O Publications, Montpellier.

Loïc Marcou's translation into French of Dido Sotiriou's "Electra" is an important milestone in introducing the French-speaking readership and French-speaking Hellenistic scholars to a lesser-known aspect of her work, which is inspired by the brutal murder of Electra Apostolou (26 July 1944). Translator Loïc Marcou is a PhD in Modern Greek Literature, an experienced teacher and researcher, and an accomplished translator of literary works and essays to and from Greek. The publication includes a foreword by Olivier Delorme who sketches the historical period in which the heroine of the novel is set.

REPORT OF THE 2022 STATE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS COMMITTEE

(2021 editions)

AWARD RATIONALE

The State Children's Book Awards Committee 2022 (2021 editions) announces the rationale for awarding the winning books, by category:

Childrens Literary Book

The State Prize for Children's Literary Book is awarded to Argyros Pipinis book Zaza

(illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis), Kaleidoscope Publications.

In the same category, the book by Lili Lambrelli, entitled Eleven Days of April 1826, Pataki Publications, was singled out, but received a minority vote.

Teenage-Juvenile Literary Book

The State Prize for Young People's Literary Book is awarded to the book by Manos Kontoleonta entitled The Mask of Capitano, Pataki Publications.

In the same category, the book by George K. Panagiotakis entitled Tigre (illustrated by Vassilis Selimas), Pataki Publications, was nominated, but received a minority vote.

Illustrated Children's Book

The State Prize for Illustrated Children's Book is awarded by majority vote to the book by Myrto Kalofolia, illustrated by Persa Zacharia, entitled Lonely Case, Kaleidoscope Publications.

In the same category, the book by Alkistis Halikias with illustrations by Iris Samartzi entitled A school in turmoil, Icarus Publications, was awarded the highest but a minority vote.

Knowledge Book for Children

The State Book of Knowledge Award for Children is awarded "equally" to the book by Angeliki Darlasis entitled The big ones…little ones: The Scientists (illustrated by Sophia Papadopoulou), Metaixmio Publications, and to the book by Vassia

Exarchou entitled The Cycle of Cyclades (illustrated by Vassia Exarchou, Dimitris Dourabeis, Anni Dadouki), Kedros Publications.

In the same category, the book by Maria Bacha, entitled A story about Dionysios Solomos, published by Kaleidoscope, illustrated by her, was nominated but was voted down.