The first Greek Nobel laureate—Yórgos (or Georges) Séféris (1900-1971), the pen name of the poet and diplomat Yórgos Seferiádis—continued to surprise, captivate, and—when necessary—shake us, right up to the very end. It was during the regime of the Colonels (1967-1974) that Séféris died from post-operative complications on September 20, 1971; two days later, his funeral served as a major political demonstration. Once again, he defied the odds.

Sixty years ago, on October 24, 1963, a telegram from the Swedish Academy announced a major event: the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Yórgos Séféris—the pen name of the poet Yórgos Seferiádis (1900-1971), who was also a diplomat. The great Greek poet received the prize “for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture,” according to the Stockholm-based Academy. This first Nobel Prize for a Greek, awarded in 1963, holds one of the most illustrious places in the nation’s literature..