Giannis Xanthoulis

Giannis Xanthoulis was born in 1947 in Alexandroupoli, Evros, to parents who were refugees from Eastern Thrace. He studied journalism and design. Since 1969, he has worked as a journalist and columnist for newspapers, magazines, and radio. He has been involved in children's theater and has written and illustrated children's books. Some of these include: "In the Water, Teacher," "Climb to the Roof to Eat the Cloud," "The Magician with Colors," "Drum, Trumpet, and Red Almonds," "A Crazy Crazy Apartment Building." His satirical texts and plays—more than thirty—have been presented in Greek theater. He spent several years working in revue journalism. His first novel, "The Great Death," was published in 1981, followed by: "The In-and-Out Family," 1982, "The Summer Lost in Winter," 1984, "The Showman Won't Come Tonight," 1985, "The Dead Liqueur," 1987, "The Paper September of Our Hearts," 1989, "The Pink I Didn't Forget," 1991, "The Era of Coffees," 1992, "Innocents' Monday," 1994, "The Train with Strawberries," 1996, "...Then Came the Bees," 1998, "The Turk in the Garden," 2001, "The Christmas Tango," 2003, "Uncle Takis," 2005, "Snake's Milk," 2007, "Istanbul - Of My Irreverent Fears" (2008), "Miss Pelagia" (2010), and "The Teacher's Son," 2012. His books have been adapted for both the big and small screens. His works have been translated into French, English, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Danish, and other languages. He has also published his autobiographical narrative "In the Kitchen of Ghosts" (from the series: "The Writer's Kitchen" by Patakis Publishers), as well as an anthology of literary texts about Istanbul ("Istanbul: A City in Literature," Metaichmio, 2004). He lives in Athens and is a member of the Union of Editors of Daily Newspapers of Athens.