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Nikos Bakolas was a Greek novelist born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1927. He studied mathematics and English language at the University of Thessaloniki. Despite his studies he has worked as a journalist from 1952 to 1986 when he retired. He has been an editor for all the major newspapers in Thessaloniki as well as editor-in-chief for the weekly newspaper "Drasis". His main interest has always been the theatre. He has worked as a theatre critic since the beginning of his working life, and served twice as Artistic and Managing Director at the State Theatre of Northern Greece (1980-1982 and 1990 - 1993). He was also appointed Managing Director of the State Television Station for Northern Greece (ET-3) in Thessaloniki in 1989. He resigned six months later to start his second term as the Artistic and Managing Director at the State Theatre of Northern Greece (1990). He has been a member of many artistic societies in his home town and he was a counsellor for the "Vafopoulio centre in Thessaloniki" for a short period of time. He was married to Eleni Issidorou, he was the father of two sons. He has lived in Thessaloniki all his life, which has been the "source" and the "subject" for most of his work. He has published the following books: "Don’t cry, darling" ("Min kles agapimeni") 1958, "The garden of princes" ("O kipos ton prigipon") 1966, "Marches" ("Emvatiria") 1972, Death sleep" ("Ipnos thanatos") 1974, "Mythology" ("Mithologia") 1977, "The great square" (" I megali platia") 1987, "Trespass" ("Katapatisi") 1990, "The head" ("I kefali") 1994, "The hurting journey" ("To taksidi pou pligoni")1995, "The endless writ of blood" ("I atelioti grafi tou ematos") 1996 and "Mpesa gia Mpesa, i o allos Fotis" 1998 . He received the "Plotin" Award in 1978 for the book "Mythology" and the "National Book Award" from the Greek State in 1988 for "The great square". His latest book "The endless writ of blood" was the Greek nomination for the ARISTEION, the European Literary Award for 1997. Although it did not receive the prize, Nikos Bakolas did receive the prestigious "National Book Award" for the book from the Greek State in 1998 for the second time. His book " Mythology " was published in 1991 in German, and then later in English in 1997, and then in French in 1998. " The garden of princes " and "The great square" ("I megali platia" ) have also been published in English in 1997. Various magazines have published pieces of his work including "The raffle" ("To lachio") published in "Endon Poli" in Greek and "Das Los" in "Saloniki Erzahlt" published in German. He has translated into Greek novels by Faulkner (The Sound and the Fury, A Rose for Emily), Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby), Henry James (The Turn of the Screw) and Ivan Turgenev (Rudin). Nikos Bakolas died on November 12th, 1999 at his home, in Thessaloniki, at the age of 72. In the beginning of November the publisher 'Ellinika Grammata' released a book with his early work called "Chronies agies and agries". This work was previously printed in old newspapers and magazines. The same publisher re-printed in May 2000 his first ever book "Don’t cry, darling" ("Min kles agapimeni"), that was originally published in 1958 and it has not been available since then. On December the 5th, he was awarded the BALKANIKA '99 prize for his book "Mpesa gia Mpesa, i o allos Fotis". At the end of 2000 Kedros has published "The hurting journey and other stories" ("To taksidi pou pligoni kai alla dihgimata"). Some of his unpublished work, will be published in the years to come. January 2001 |
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