- George Pavlopoulos
George Pavlopoulos (Γιώργης Παυλόπουλος) (born
22 June 1924 ) is a Greek poet, relatively unknown outside Greece, but admired within his own country by fellow poets such as George Seferis.George Pavlopoulos was born in Pyrgos, on the west coast of the
Peloponnese inGreece . Before World War II Pyrgos was a rich provincial centre and Pavlopoulos's father ran a local restaurant and cake shop. He was educated at primary and secondary levels in Pyrgos, a childhood illness left him permanently lame.Levi, Peter (1980). "The Hill of Kronos". London:Arrow Books . ISBN 0-09-933150-0. pp63f.] He attended the School of Law at the University of Athens [http://book.culture.gr/docs/census.pdf CENSUS of Modern Greek Literature] .] He did not complete his degree and returned to Pyrgos where he worked as book-keeper and secretary for the local bus company.Levi, Peter in Pavlopoulos, George (1971). Trans. Peter Levi. "The Cellar". London:Anvil Press Poetry .] . Upon his return from Athens he married a local girl and had a son. .Childhood friends of his in Pyrgos included the musician
Mikis Theodorakis andTakis Sinopoulos the poet.In 1943, during the German occupation, the local bishop allowed Pavlopoulos access to the cathedral printing press. With some of his school friends he printed and published a magazine called "Odyssey" containing his first published poem. This group included
Takis Sinopoulos with whom he later wrote experimental cooperative poetry. The group performed a play, advertised with posters proclaiming "Freedom or Death". The text was controversial and landed Pavlopoulos in trouble with the localGestapo , who asked who had written it. Pavlopoulos had eventually to pretend that it was byVictor Hugo , although it had been written by themselves.The Nazi withdrawal at close of war lead to bitter fighting between factions in the resistance. The unhappiness of war and civil war is reflected in much of Pavlopoulos's poetry.
His poetry has been translated into other languages, including: English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian and Spanish. He has taken part in cultural festivals in Greece and elsewhere and is a founder member of the
Greek Society of Authors .References
ources
* [http://book.culture.gr/docs/census.pdf CENSUS of Modern Greek Literature]
* Levi, Peter in Pavlopoulos, George (1971). Trans. Peter Levi. "The Cellar". London:Anvil Press Poetry .
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