A short interview with Lefteris Kefalas, winner of the Niki Marangou Postgraduate Studentship

Lefteris Kefalas was born in 1991 in Patras, Greece. After receiving Bachelor and Masters degrees from the University of Patras, he undertook a PhD in Modern Greek Literature funded by us at King’s College London, under the supervision of Professor David Ricks. Lefteris’s research focussed on the life and work post-war Greek writer and journalist Renos Apostolidis. He spoke to us briefly about his Postgraduate Studentship experience and Marangou’s work.

I became ‘acquainted’ with the life and work of Niki Marangou through the website of the Classics Department at King’s College London. It was an announcement of the first Niki Marangou Memorial Studentship for Postgraduate Research in Modern Greek Studies and I remember that time quite vividly as it was in Spring of 2016 and I was in Berlin doing the Erasmus programme. My dear Professor (and supervisor at the time) Georgia Gotsi encouraged me to apply for the studentship. I was hesitant at first but as it turned out her insistence proved to be the right push I guess.

My doctoral thesis sets out to explore Renos Apostolidis’ contribution to Greek letters, the reception of his work and its sociopolitical dimension from the end of the Occupation to the turbulence of 1964 and prompts an assessment of the importance of this dissenting voice of critique during its time but also as a guide to the complexities of the Greek world today. The main reason for choosing this topic was obviously my interest in the works of Renos, which goes back to 2014 and my Master’s thesis. (I believe that one should feel fulfillment or a certain attraction or curiosity for his/her topic of choice when conducting research.) As I point out in the introduction of my thesis, academic efforts that study Renos’ life have been quite scarce, so the interest I had for Renos sparked the question as to why he was not that popular within the academic curricula. These two reasons led me to seek out for myself Renos’ importance in the Greek literary and public life, and together with the valuable advice and guidance of Professor David Ricks we concluded in this topic: ‘Renos’ critique of Post-war Greece’.

A prerequisite for the Niki Marangou Studentship was the writing of a 5,000-word essay on any topic inspired by Marangou’s work. Before talking about my essay I have to thank Mr Constantis Candounas and To Rodakio publications for providing me with all of Niki Marangou’s books, yet another sign of generosity and kindness on their behalf. My preference for prose instead of poetry led me to chose to write about Marangou’s third novel titled From Famagusta to Vienna, which was originally published in 2003 under the Greek title Γιατρός από τη Βιέννη (Doctor from Vienna) by To Rodakio. The novel’s autobiographical and somewhat historical narration made sense in my mind as my thesis was also an autobiographical narrative. Μarangou’s novel is set in the turbulent world of pre-World War II Europe and Egypt, and follows the story of Marangou’s parents, with a strong focus on the ups and downs in the life of her father, George Marangos, while the last chapter is mostly centred around her mother, Kate Chasapi, who originated in Kozani, Greece. It is a personal recollection, which includes, but does not dictate, specific historical, social or political readings. 

As I was new to Marangou’s oeuvre, I approached the writing of this essay with a completely open mind and let the test dictate what I would write. I gave it the title ‘Τhoughts on Niki Marangou’s From Famagusta to Vienna’ and while reading it now, in retrospect, I would say that it looks more like an extensive book review rather than a typical literary analysis. One of the things that drew my attention while reading the book was Marangou’s ability to place value on the person more than on society, regardless of the book’s multicultural environment. From Famagusta to Vienna serves as an example of individuality: it is in the hands of the two characters to define their own lives. Despite the important historical events that take place in the narration, the writer's eye is fixed on the everyday life of the characters, their works, personal relationships, and hardships and how those are overcome rendering this book of diversities and antitheses a critical gaze into the historical past, one that focuses on the human aspect throughout time—the constant mobility and suffering of those who are minorities. Because of the writer’s ‘anthropocentric’ point of view, reading and writing about this book was a very enjoyable experience and I certainly recommend people to read it if they ever have the chance. 

Lefteris successfully defended his doctoral thesis early last year and is due to attend the graduation ceremony for his doctoral degree in London this autumn. The terms of the Postgraduate Studentship have changed slightly and we are now offering funding for doctoral research on the work of Niki Marangou. If you are interested, send us your proposal via email at marangouatkings@gmail.com

24 May 2022