Συμποσιακά

by Kostas Varnalis, Νίκος Σαραντάκος (Editor)

Όπως μαρτυρούν όσοι τον γνώρισαν, ο Κώστας Βάρναλης αγαπούσε πολύ το καφενείο, που το έβλεπε σαν το αντίστοιχο της αγοράς των αρχαίων Αθηναίων, αλλά και την ταβέρνα, σαν χώρο συλλογικής ευωχίας. Τα χρονογραφήματα του τόμου αυτού τοποθετούνται ακριβώς σε αυτούς τους δύο πόλους: την ταβέρνα και το καφενείο, και βέβαια τα συμπαρομαρτούντα: τον καφέ και το τσιγάρο, το πιοτό και το φαγητό, τα συμπόσια και τις παρέες των φίλων.

Ο Νίκος Σαραντάκος, επιμελητής και σχολιαστής των Χρονογραφημάτων και των λοιπών άρθρων του Κ. Βάρναλη που αποθησαυρίζονται από το 2013 για τις εκδόσεις Αρχείο, διάλεξε για την παρούσα έκδοση 154 χρονογραφήματα του Βάρναλη που δημοσιεύτηκαν από το 1939 έως το 1957 στις εφημερίδες Πρωία, Ηνωμένος Τύπος, Προοδευτικός Φιλελεύθερος, Προοδευτική Αλλαγή και Αυγή.

Στα χρονογραφήματα του τόμου αυτού θα βρείτε τον ίδιο τον ποιητή, αυθεντικό και ανθρώπινο, να υμνεί τις μικρές χαρές των απλών ανθρώπων, να περιγράφει τα παυσίλυπα πάθη τους, να δίνει συμβουλές για το πώς να κόψετε το τσιγάρο αλλά και πώς πρέπει να είναι μια σωστή κρασοκατάνυξη.

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2019

About the author

Kostas Varnalis (Κώστας Βάρναλης) was born in Burgas, Bulgaria, in 1884. As his name suggests, his family originated from Varna. He completed his elementary studies in the Zariphios Greek high school in Plovdiv and then moved to Athens to study literature at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. While there, he became involved in the language dispute, taking the side of the demoticists over the supportres of the katharevousa. After his graduation in 1908 he worked for some time as a teacher in Burgas, before returning to Greece and teaching in Amaliada and Athens. During the next years, he worked as a teacher and part-time journalist, also engaging in translation work. In 1913, he took part in the Second Balkan War.
In 1919 he gained a scholarship and travelled to Paris where he studied philosophy, literature and sociology. It was during his Parisian studies that he became a Marxist and reviewed his ideas on poetry in theory and in practice. His political alignment resulted in his being barred dismissed from his teaching position at the Paedagocical Academny in 1926, and to be barred from any state employment. Varnalis thus took to journalism, a profession he practised until the end of his life. In 1929, he married the poetess Dora Moatsou. In 1935, he participated in the Soviet Writers' Conference in Moscow as Greece's representative. Under the 4th of August Regime, he was sent to internal exile in Mytilene and Agios Efstratios. During the German Occcupation of Greece, he took part in the resistance movement as a member of the National Liberation Front (EAM). In 1959, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize. Varnalis died in Athens on 16 December 1974.