On this day, June 23, was born Dimitris Rodopoulosor as it went down in history M. Karagatsis. He is one of the most popular Greek writers, while he was also one of the most important representatives of the “30’s generation” to which he belonged.

He was born in Athens, in a corner house on Akadimia and Themistokleous streets, to Anthi Mouloulis and Georgios Rodopoulos, lawyer and politician. As he himself wrote with his usual caustic speech: “I was born in Athens in one of the four corner houses of Akadimias and Themistokleous streets. But I won’t tell you which one. And I do this on purpose, in order to wildly confuse – at this Athenian crossroads – the various ‘competents’, when the moment comes to install the commemorative plaque”.

As for the nickname “M. Karagatsis”? No one knows exactly what it means, as the author himself never publicly confirmed any of the meanings that have occasionally been attributed to him. However “Karagatsis” is said to have come from the karagatsi tree at his family’s country house in Rapsani, Thessaly, where he spent most of his summers during his teenage years. Under a karagatsi in the precincts of his village church he spent his time reading. The “M.” on the other hand it probably came from the Russian name “Mitia”, which in Russian means Dimitris – which was also his real name. This is what his fellow students called him, because of the love he had for his works Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

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