The Ministry of Culture is organizing on Monday, May 27, 2024 at 7:30 p.m., at the Municipal Theater of Piraeus, the Awarding Ceremony of the State Literary Awards 2022 and 2023 and the State Playwriting Awards 2022.

The State Awards are an important institution for Greek literature and theater, recognizing and honoring writers who, with their work, contribute to our cultural heritage and to the promotion of literature and theater in our country and abroad.

During the ceremony, the awards will be presented by category as follows:

STATE LITERARY AWARDS 2023

The Grand Prize for Letters 2023 is awarded to Rhea Galanakis for her overall contribution to Letters.

STATE LITERATURE AWARDS 2023

A. The State Prize for Fiction 2023 is awarded to Ismini Karyotakis, for her work Phygodikos dena wasa, Potamos publications.

B. The 2023 State Prize for Short Story-Novel is awarded to Vangelis Hatzigiannidis, for his work To name sou, To Rodakio publications.

C. The State Poetry Prize 2023 is awarded to Stavros Zafiriou, for his work Green sky, blue grass, Nefeli publications.

STATE PRIZES FOR LITERARY TRANSLATION 2023

A. The State Award for Translation of a Work of Foreign Literature in Greek Language 2023 is awarded ex aequo to Myrto Kalofoliasfor translating the work of Anthony Doerr NephelococcygiaPataki publications, and to Sotiris Souliotis, for the translation of Jon Fosse’s work The Other Name, Gutenberg publications.

B. The State Prize for the Performance of a Project of Ancient Greek Writing in Modern Greek 2023 is awarded ex aequo to Pavlos Kalligas, for the translation of the work of Plato Parmenides, Stigmi publications, and to Theodoros K. Stephanopoulos, for the translation of the work of Hirondas Mimiamboi, Kichli publications.

C. The State Award for Translation of a Work of Greek Language into a Foreign Language 2023 is awarded ex aequo to Jean-Marc Laborie, for the translation of the work of Christoforos Milionis Kalamas ki Acheron into French [Christoforos Milionis Kalamás et Achéron, εκδόσεις L’Harmattan]and to Riikka Pulkkinen, for translating an anthology of modern Greek poets into Finnish [Aurinkokello: Nykykreikkalaisia, εκδόσεις Enostone Kustannus].

STATE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS 2023

A. The State Children’s Literary Book Award 2023 awarded to Kyriako Harito for the work titled Just imagine(illustration Daniela Stamatiadis), Metaichmio publications.

B. The 2023 State Prize for Adolescent-Youth Literary Book is awarded to Thodoris Koukias for the work entitled Square waves, flying jellyfish, Kedros publications.

C. The State Illustrated Children’s Book Award 2023 is awarded to the illustrator Chrysos Charalambous and the author Danai Daska for the work entitled 1000 ways to squeeze a lemon, Papadopoulos publications.

D. The 2023 National Book of Knowledge Award for children is awarded to Marisa Decastro for the work entitled My People, (illustrated by Hara Marantidou), Kaleidoscope publications.

STATE ESSAY-WITNESS AWARDS 2023

A. The National Essay-Criticism Award 2023 is awarded to Christos Loukos, for his work The Hermoupolis of Syros (1821-1950). From the Liverpool of the Eastern Mediterranean to the cotton city of the Cyclades, University Press of Crete.

B. The State Award for Testimony-Biography-Chronicle-Travel Literature 2023 is awarded to Spyros Papaioannou – Costas Vlisidis for their work The Horrible Mosque of Sin, published by the Institute for the Study of Local History and Business History.

C. The State Award for Debut Author 2023 is awarded to Aris Alexandris, for his work How Ignatios Karathodoris lost everything, Metaichmio publications.

IV. The Special State Award 2023 for a book that significantly promotes dialogue on sensitive social issues, is awarded to Yannis Paschos, for his work The Chronicle of a Dyslexic, Perispomeni publications.

V. Honorary Distinction is awarded to the literary magazine Coralli.

STATE LITERARY AWARDS 2022

The Grand Prize of Letters 2022 is awarded to Maria Laina for her overall contribution to Letters.

STATE LITERATURE AWARDS 2022

A. The State Prize for Fiction 2022 is awarded to Sotiris Dimitriou for the work Uranos from other places, Pataki publications.
B. The 2022 State Prize for Short Story – Novellas is awarded to Nasia Dionysiou for her work What is a plain, Polis publications.
C. The State Prize for Poetry 2022 is awarded to Thanasis Hatzopoulos for his work Under construction flags, Polis publications.

STATE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS 2022

A. The State Children’s Literary Book Award 2022 is awarded to Silver Pippin for the work titled Zaza (illustration by Petros Bouloubasis), Kaleidoscope publications.
B. The State Prize for Adolescent-Youth Literary Book 2022 is awarded by a majority to Manos Kontoleontas for the work entitled The Captain’s Mask, Pataki publications.
C. The State Prize for Illustrated Children’s Book 2022 is awarded to the illustrator Persa Zacharias and the author Myrto Kalofolia for the work entitled Lonely Case, Kaleidoscope publications.
D. The 2022 National Book of Knowledge Award for children is awarded in half to Aggeliki Darlasi for the work entitled The big…. the small: the scientists (illustrated by Sofia Papadopoulou), Metaichmio publications, and to Vasia Exarchou for the work entitled The cycle of the Cyclades (illustrated by Vasias Exarchos, Dimitris Dourabeis, Anny Dadoukis), Kedros publications.

STATE AWARDS FOR LITERARY TRANSLATION 2022

A. The 2022 State Prize for the Achievement of Ancient Greek Literature in Modern Greek is awarded to Nikolaos P. Bezantakos, for the translation of the work Anthology of Ancient Greek Erotic Literature (Vol. I Poetry & Vol. II Prose), publications Association to Distribution of Useful Books.
B. The State Prize for Translation of a Work of Greek Language into a Foreign Language 2022 is awarded in half to Panos Karagiorgos, for the translation of the work of Kostis Palamas/Poetic Anthology, Filyra publications, and to Loïc Marcou, for the translation of the work of Didos Sotiriou, Electra, H & O éditions.
C. The State Translation Award Foreign Literature Project in Greek Language 2022 is awarded to George Kentrotisfor the translation of his work Georg TraklAll the Poems, Rome editions.

VII. Awards in Literary Magazines which contribute to the promotion and dissemination of Greek literature

STATE ESSAY – TESTIMONY AWARDS 2022

A. The State Prize for Essay – Criticism 2022 is awarded to Panagis Panagiotopoulos for his work Adventures of the Middle Class. Sociological records in late postcolonial Greece, Epikentro publications.
B. The State Award for Testimony – Biography – Chronicle – Travel Literature 2022 in half to Tasoula Verbeniotis for her work The Civilians of the Greek Civil War. The dynamics of memory, Koukkida publications, and to Christos Christidis, for the work of Georgios Kartalis, publications of the Hellenic Parliament Foundation.

IV. The Special State Award 2022, for a book that significantly promotes dialogue on sensitive social issues, is awarded to Hilda Papadimitriou, for her work Guilty until proven guilty, Metaichmio publications

STATE PLAYWRITING AWARDS 2022

A. State Prize for Writing a Play

The 2022 National Playwriting Award is awarded by half in two (2) plays in “The ones below” by Zeta (Georgia-Paraskevi) Fitsios, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Aliki Karnezou” and in “Terra Incognita” by Eleftheria Michaelidis, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Irini Angelidis”.

Commendations are also awarded to the following four (4) works: 1) “The Valley of the Poppies” by Dimitrios Alexios, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “VLADIMIR ZELETIN”, 2) “Tsi Lenis The Mile” by Styliani Hairetis, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Myrsini Zacharias”, 3) “Bloody Demi” by Eleni Kostopoulou, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Dylan_Akulinos” and 4) “To Perasma” by Anna Pitta, which was submitted to the competition nicknamed “Sort of”.

B. State Award for Writing a Play for Children

The State Prize for Writing a Play for Children in 2022 is awarded to “My brother from the stars” by Aggeliki Darlasis, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Anna Dimou”. Also, the Committee unanimously decided to award a Commendation to the play “Once upon a time in Hamelin” by Maria Hiou, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Melissa”.

C. State Award for Young Playwrights “Chrysa Spiliotis”

The State Award for Young Playwrights “Chrysa Spiliotis” for the year 2022 is unanimously awarded to the play “Salty Letters” by Maria Psarologou, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Demons of Self”.