Thanasis Valtinos, who passed away at the age of 92, left an indelible mark on modern Greek literature and culture. His work highlighted the historical and social conditions of 20th-century Greece. An acclaimed author, a member of the Academy of Athens, and its president in 2016, Valtinos was one of the most distinguished writers of his generation, capturing through his works the hardships, contradictions, and contrasts of a transforming nation.

Valtinos was born and raised amid intense political and social instability. His early years were marked by the experiences of the German occupation and the civil war, forcing his family to move across different cities. In 1950, he settled in Athens, where he continued his studies, first at the Department of Political Sciences at Panteion University and later at a film school, opening the way for a career that would bring him into close contact with the realms of literature and cinema.

His literary debut came in 1958 with the short story Midsummer in a competition held by Tachydromos magazine. The 1960s proved crucial for his career, as in 1963 he published The Descent of the Nine, a narrative inspired by the tragic events of the Greek Civil War. This theme remained central to his work and resurfaced in his 1994 novel Orthokosta, which also focused on the civil war and sparked intense reactions and public debate.

Valtinos, a profound scholar of Greek history and tradition, used his writing as a means to explore the concepts of identity and memory, while exposing the scars of the past that continue to haunt the collective subconscious. His Chronicle of Andreas Kordopatis is a powerful portrayal of Greek migrant experiences in the early 20th century, while Deep Blue, Almost Black approaches human relationships and adversity with a distinct style.

Valtinos’ contributions extended beyond literature. During the military dictatorship, he participated in the resistance publication 18 Texts and was a close collaborator of the Art Theatre of Karolos Koun and the renowned director Theodoros Angelopoulos. Notably, he received the screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984 for his script Voyage to Cythera, directed by Angelopoulos.

In addition to writing, Valtinos collaborated with important literary and cultural magazines such as Epoches, Lexi, and Diavazo, as well as newspapers like Kathimerini and Avgi. His multifaceted work reflects a deep concern for identity, history, and culture, highlighting his intense social awareness and his drive to question societal myths and certainties.

In 2022, the President of the Hellenic Republic honored Valtinos, along with ten other prominent figures in literature and the arts, in a tribute recognizing his contribution to Greece’s cultural and intellectual life. Thanasis Valtinos left behind an invaluable legacy of works that will continue to inspire readers, exploring the passions, virtues, and flaws of human existence with disarming honesty.

His loss is a significant blow to Greek literature, but his work remains alive, relevant, and important for future generations. Thanasis Valtinos, with his unparalleled ability to blend the personal with the collective, psyche with history, left us a body of work that stands as a constant reminder of literature’s role: to remember, to explore, and to challenge.