“If I have chosen to write for children, it is because I wanted to capture the important things my generation experienced, which I am afraid will be forgotten when we will be gone.”

Following the international trend for the implementation of literary exhibitions that highlight important forms of literature and culture of every place, the Benaki Museum at Piraeus 138 hosts the exhibition “Alki Zei 1923–2020.” The Great Alki’s Walk.” The exhibition organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports in the framework of the “literary year 2023 Alkis Zei”, presents the life and work of the author.

Η Άλκη Ζέη στη Ρώμη, 1953 / Alki Zei in Rome, 1953

She herself was born in Athens. Important for her life proved to be her acquaintance with Dido Sotiriou, who encouraged her to engage in writing. She herself was motivated by joining EPON during her years of occupation. During this difficult period, she studied philosophy and met her later husband, George Sevastikoglou. In the post-Civil War years, the difficult period of exile began in Tashkent and Moscow. Her return from exile in the early 60s did not last long since, after the imposition of the dictatorship, a few years later, she fled to Paris.

The years of exile were particularly creative for her. He studied, wrote, and had the opportunity to meet important figures in Greek art and literature. What she lived through defined her as both a person and a writer and is “visible” in her books.

Ο μεγάλος περίπατος του Πέτρου, Κέδρος, / Peter’s Long Walk, Kedros

Alki Zei belongs to the limited number of Greek writers who have translated the entirety of their work into many languages. The “Kaplani of the showcase” holds the first place with translations into dozens of languages. It is her first novel, written during the years of exile in Moscow. It is a milestone for Greek children’s literature not only for its numerous reprints and hundreds of thousands of sales but also because it “escaped” from childhood by referring to the political reality and the imposition of the Metaxas dictatorship.

Literature and history complement her books, which remain timeless and popular. Although the target audience is mainly children and teenagers, the well-crafted plot, humor, historical references, and historical elements make her books equally enjoyable to read by adult readers.

Wildcat under glass, Peter’s Long Walk, Uncle Plato, with Faber Pencil No. 2, Achilles ‘ fiancée, Alice in the Land of the Marbles, and the Lying Grandfather are some of her 23 books that have made her so popular.

Το καπλάνι της βιτρίνας, εκδ. Θεμέλιο, 1963 / Wildcat under glass, Themelio editions, 1963

Her contribution and the recognition she has known wherever her books have been translated, make her ” ambassador of contemporary Greek literature, not only children’s literature, abroad.

Through rich and rare photographic material, videos, soundtracks, texts, and her personal sayings, presented in the exhibition, The Life of Alkis Zei, the exile in Tashkent, Moscow, and Paris, her life with her husband Giorgos Sevastikoglou, her friendship with persons such as Dido Sotiriou, Melina Mercouri, and Andreas Embirikos, and their difficulties and recognition are chronicled.

Η Άλκη Ζέη με την Διδώ Σωτηρίου / Alki Zei with Dido Sotiriou

Αn exhibition that excites children and thrills older people.

Benaki Museum-Pireos 138

Alki Zei 1923 – 2020. The Great Alki’s Walk

16/3/2023 – 30/4/2023