Gregorios Xenopoulos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregorios Xenopoulos
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| Born | December 9, 1867 Constantinople, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | January 14, 1951 (aged 83) Athens, Greece |
| Occupation | Novelist, playwright, journalist |
| Nationality | Greek |
| Genre | Drama, comedy, theatre |
Gregorios Xenopoulos (born December 9, 1867 – died January 14, 1951) was a famous Greek writer. He wrote many novels, plays, and worked as a journalist. He was born in Constantinople but grew up on the island of Zakynthos.
Xenopoulos was the main editor for a popular magazine called The Education of Children (Η Διάπλασις των Παίδων). He worked there for a very long time, from 1896 to 1948. He also wrote most of the articles for the magazine himself. He often signed his letters in the magazine with "Yours sincerely, Phaedon."
He also started another important magazine, Nea Estia, which is still published today. In 1931, he became a member of the Academy of Athens. He also helped create the Society of Greek Writers with other famous authors like Kostis Palamas and Nikos Kazantzakis.
His Life Story
Gregorios Xenopoulos was born on December 9, 1867, in Constantinople. His father, Dionysios, was from Zakynthos, and his mother, Evlalia, was from Constantinople. Soon after he was born, his family moved to Zakynthos.
Gregorios spent his childhood and teenage years there. In 1883, when he was 16, he moved to Athens. He started studying physics and math at the University of Athens. However, he never finished his studies. He began writing literature in his first year, and it quickly became his main way to earn money.
In 1892, he moved to Athens for good. He got married in 1894 to Efrosini Diogenidis. They had a daughter but divorced about a year and a half later. In 1901, he married his second wife, Christine Kanellopoulos. They had two daughters together.
Xenopoulos worked with many newspapers and magazines. He published lots of studies, articles, short stories, and novels. In 1894, he became the director of the Illustrated Estia newspaper. In 1896, he became the chief editor of The Education of the Children magazine.
From 1901 to 1912, he published many literary works in a magazine called Panathinaia. After 1912, he wrote serialized novels for the Ethnos newspaper. In 1927, he started the Nea Estia magazine and was its director until 1934.
Sadly, his house and his large library were destroyed in 1944 during fighting in Athens. Gregorios Xenopoulos passed away in Athens on January 14, 1951. He was buried with public honors.
His Writings
Gregorios Xenopoulos was a very productive writer. He wrote more than 80 novels and many short stories.
Novels and Stories
He first became known for his novel "Man of the World." His early novels were not very successful. Then, he started writing about his home, Zakynthos. This led to some of his best novels, like "Magaret Stefa" (1893) and "Red Rock" (1905).
Later, he wrote other popular novels such as "War" (1914) and "The Secret Engagement" (1915). His novel "Laura" (1915) was also very much admired. One of his biggest projects was a trilogy of novels: "The Rich and the Poor" (1919), "The Honest and the Dishonest" (1921), and "The Lucky and the Unlucky" (1924).
His novels often took place in Athens and Zakynthos. He is known for writing "urban novels," which means stories set in cities. A common theme in his books was love, especially between people from different social classes. Some people thought he wrote too much, which sometimes affected the quality. However, many praised his strong storytelling and how well he kept readers interested.
Plays for the Stage
Xenopoulos also wrote many plays. His first play was "The Stepfather," performed in 1895. He worked with a theater group called "Nea Skini."
Some of his most famous plays include:
- "The Secret of Countess Valerena" (1904)
- "Stella Violanti" (1909), which was performed with the famous actress Marika Kotopouli
- "Students"
In total, he wrote 46 plays. In 1901, he helped establish the "Nea Skini" theater with Kostis Palamas. Because he knew many languages, he was aware of new ideas in theater from other European countries. He even wrote introductions for plays by the famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. He also translated many works into Greek.
His play "Uncle Dream" was the first of his works to be performed at the Royal Theatre of Athens. This theater was later renamed the National Theatre of Greece.
Types of Works
Xenopoulos wrote both dramas and comedies. Love was a common subject in his plays. His works give us a look into what Greek society was like during his time. His stories are often grouped by where they were set:
- Zakynthian stories: These were set on the island of Zakynthos. Examples include "Stella Violanti," "Rachil," "Fotini Saranti," "O popolaros," and "The Secret of Contessa Valeriana."
- Athenian stories: These were set in Athens. Examples include "Foititai" (Students), "Psychosavvato," and "To anthropino."
He tried to combine different writing styles in his work, balancing the traditional Ionian School with the newer Athenian School.
