“I am excited to visit the space and look forward to its official opening”, said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his greeting at an event held by the Greek embassy in London for the “Seferis Office” and the “Roderick Beaton Reading Room”.

The prime minister congratulated the ambassador and thanked the President of the Republic for thinking of creating this Reading Room, this room dedicated, as he said, to one of the most famous figures of Greek and world literature and to an excellent diplomat.

“That’s really what I find so fascinating about Seferis, the way he managed to balance his deep spiritual concerns with his dedication to his diplomatic career. This year we are not only celebrating 60 years since George Seferis received the most distinguished award that can be given to any writer or poet. We are also celebrating, if I am not mistaken, 20 years since Professor Beaton published his biography. What is constantly referred to as the “brick”. However, it is worth reading precisely because it explores the mind and life of this fascinating personality”, emphasized Mr. Mitsotakis.

The Prime Minister personally thanked Professor Beaton for the love he showed for his new homeland and for writing so eloquently about modern Greek history and the history of Greeks throughout the centuries. “I think it has played a crucial role, especially in recent years, in terms of better understanding our own history and particularly the history of the last 200 years, this turbulent course that moves from triumphs to disasters, but puts us, at the end of the day , always in a better position than where we started.”

The Prime Minister said that Giorgos Seferis was part of this journey, and it is right to honor his work and life in this residence, inaugurating this very special room.

“Finally, I was thinking about what George Seferis would say about the current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. He was a connoisseur, of course, of the Middle East, someone who cared deeply about the Cyprus struggle and someone who was very forthright when it came to his personal opinion, something we have always valued in our diplomacy. He was certainly not a man of “yes” and he had the courage of his opinion”, continued Mr. Mitsotakis and mentioned some of Giorgos Seferis’ verses.

“I think that if he had been speaking to the Israelis after this horrible tragedy on October 7, he might have used these words: “Lord, help us to remember how this killing happened. Help us root out the rapture and deceit.” But I’m sure he would also have some words for the Palestinians. And he would probably tell them, painfully expressing his own longing for his homeland during the difficult years: “To miss your country while living in your country, nothing is more bitter”. That’s why poetry, especially important poetry, is always so relevant, and his desire and wish to “climb words like a windmill” is why it’s still so relevant today. And that is the magic of poetry and the very personal journey we all embark on when we read these amazing poems. And that is the reason why he is still so relevant today, I would probably say maybe even more than he was when he created his most successful work”, underlined Kyriakos Mitsotakis.