Sunday 01 May 2022 18:30
On May 1st, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center is welcoming writer Vangelis Hatzigiannidis in the springtime Mediterranean Garden, for a special celebratory Book Club meeting inspired by his book, Natural Histories.
Participants will have the opportunity to talk with the author and exchange thoughts and ideas about his Natural Histories, against the backdrop of the unique spring atmosphere of Stavros Niarchos Park.
A few words about the book: Eleven stories. Eleven NATURAL HISTORIES. The title may appear ironic, since all of the stories are actually unusual, extreme, hard to believe, i.e., in a sense, unnatural. At the same time, however, the title is also literal, since all of the stories have to do with the power of Nature as it manifests in animals, plants, human intellect, or even inanimate objects. A power that proves invincible and indomitable, although humans never cease to try to challenge it— the conclusion always foregone. A man turns into a tree; a family of wasps seeks justice; a book is buried and transformed into a cactus; an icon made without hands (acheiropoieta) suddenly appears on paper; a man receives signals from the sun; a chair has cellular memory.
A perfectly natural world of fantasy.
Vangelis Hatzigiannidis was born in Serres on July 4, 1967. He studied at the University of Athens Law School and the Veaki Drama School. His prose includes the following books (in Greek): The Four Walls, The Guest, Natural Histories, Sleep, The Minimum Trace, all available from “To Rodakio” printing and publishing company. Novels of his have been translated into several languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Georgian and Turkish).
He has also written the following plays: Disguise, Mud, La Poupée, Air, Light on Screen, The Immaterial You, Cake, Butterfly in a Well, In Paradise, The Ηouse with the Snakes, all of which have been staged in several theaters. In addition, he has written the librettos for three contemporary operas commissioned by the Greek National Opera.
He has taught playwriting in workshops of the Greek National Theater, Patakis Publishers, Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, and the Hellenic Open University. In 2019, together with Thanasis Triaridis and Dimitri Tarlow, he launched the Playwriting School of Poreia Theater.
Debut Novel Prize by Diavazo magazine (2000); Prix Laure-Bataillon (2004); nomination for the British Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (2007); audience award at the Heidelberger Stückemarkt theater festival (2013); Klepsydra magazine award (2014).
Sunday 01/05 | 18.30-20.30 MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
For adults | Up to 30 participants Free participation via online pre-registration
Pre-registrations starts on Wednesday 20/04, at 12.00
Anyone reserving a seat at the Book Club is required to have read the book of the month.
The book Natural Histories by Vangelis Hatzigiannidis is available (in Greek) from “To Rodakio” printing and publishing company.
