women authors. The production of poems and plays was limited. Nevertheless, some
collections and anthologies of poetry were produced, such as those by I.Kambouroglou,
Arist. Kourtidis, Polyx. Melandinou, Leon.Maroulis, Ioannis Laios, and I.Polemis and of
others. Children’s song anthologies were also being published, such as those of
Kleovoulos Artemidis and A.G.Argyropoulos. The production of children’s books was
reinforced by the initiative of the Educational Group (1910) to publish a series of ‘Books
for Young Greeks Written in their own Language’.
A landmark is The High Mountains (1918), a literary reading book for primary school
children in their third year, largely written by Zaharias Papandoniou. It expressed the
new linguistic, aesthetic and educational concept of the Education Reform of 1917.
Children’s poetry was given new life by Papandoniou’s collection of poems, The Swallows
(1920). Both the Society for the Spreading of Greek Letters and the Society for Spreading
of Useful Books helped to consolidate the position of children’s books.
In the period between the wars (1920–1940) special attention was given to the ‘object
lesson narratives’, related to nature, the motherland, books of knowledge, covering the
cognitive needs of children. Many works of this genre are to be found in the Children’s
Library of Dimitrakos, the Green Books series, and in individual works by
M.Papamavrou, Steph. Granitsa, Athens Vlachou and others. Also a considerable
number of authors produced short stories, mainly with historical, social and
ethnographic content. Children’s theatre became established, with books of plays for
children by authors such as Arist. Kourtidis, Greg. Xenopoulos and Dem.
Kambouroglou. Two significant events promoted children’s theatre: the foundation of the
Theatrical Organisation of Children’s Theatre in 1931, by Efrossini Londou-
Dimitrakopoulou, and the foundation of the Children’s Theatre School, in 1932, by
Antigoni Metaxa. The performances of both companies lasted until 1941.
Traditional tales, and original stories in similar form were adapted or written by
writers such as Evdokia Athanasoula, Alexandra Delta, A.Melachrinos, K. Varnalis,
Marianthi Kambouroglou, Takis Kondos, G.Megas and G.Perialitis. Poetry was less
important, although there were anthologies by P.Kalogerikou, and others, and a few
novels appeared (I.Boukouvala, Stratis Myrivilis, P.Pikros). During the period of the
Occupation (1941–1944) the circulation of children’s books was minimal and only after
1945, within the climate of national reconstruction was there a move towards providing
children’s reading.
Immediately after the war, two conflicting currents may be observed: the comics,
illustrated classics, popular editions and ‘marginal’ literature, and the Hellenocentric
movement, an effort for the offer to Greek children of Greek books alongside the
translations of foreign works. Thematically, this literature used both the traditional
themes, such as family, school, motherland, religion and nature and new themes such
as the Albanian War, the Occupation, the Cypriot Struggle, the idea of cooperation. In
the 1950s over 300 books of tales—containing 6,000 items were produced; there was a
considerable number of books of short and simple stories, and over 300 books of drama,
written by over 140 writers. Poetry and the novel declined, and translations
outnumbered Greek novels by five to one. On the other hand, religious books became
prominent, and if children’s theatre mainly covered school needs, there were some
impressive theatrical productions.
GREECE 755