Aristomenis (Menis) Koumandareas ( el, Αριστομένης (Μένης) Κουμανταρέας; 4 January 1931 – 5 December 2014) was an acclaimed Greek writer.

Biography

Koumandareas attended classes in the Philosophy and Law schools of the

University of Athens The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; el, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ''Ethnikó ke Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the Univers ...

, as well as in a drama school, but he did not complete his studies in any of these fields. Instead, he worked for a while as a journalist, and then as a clerk in seafaring and insurance companies. From 1961 forward until the time of his death Koumandareas was active as a writer and a translator. His texts have been published in many Greek literary periodicals. He was awarded the State Prize for Short Story (twice, 1967 and 1997) and for Novel (twice, 1975 and 2002). from 1982 to 1986 he was a member of the board of directors for the

Greek National Opera The Greek National Opera ( el, Εθνική Λυρική Σκηνή, ''Ethniki Lyriki Skini'') is the country's state lyric opera company, located in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center at the south suburb of Athens, Kallithea. It is a ...

. Koumandareas was found dead, a presumed murder victim, on 6 December 2014, in his apartment in Athens. He was 83. According to the coroner's report, he was strangled. Two Romanian men have been arrested as suspects, Ştefan Mătăsăreanu (25) and Cosmin Găitan (29). The first suspect, a long-time acquaintance of Koumandareas, was identified through descriptions from the author's last, autobiographical, novel.

Works

Prose

*''Τα μηχανάκια'' (Pin-ball Machines), 1962 *''Το αρμένισμα'' (The Saint), 1967 *''Τα καημένα'' (The Burnt Ones), 1972 *''Βιοτεχνία Υαλικών'' (Glass Factory), 1975 *''Η κυρία Κούλα'' (Koula, translated into English by Kaiē Tsitselē), 1978 *''Το κουρείο'' (The Barber Shop), 1979 *''Σεραφείμ και Χερουβείμ'' (Seraphim and Cherubim), 1981 *''Ο ωραίος Λοχαγός'' (The Handsome Lieutenant), 1982 *''Η φανέλα με τό εννιά'' (Vest No 9), 1986 *''Πλανόδιος Σαλπιγκτής'' (The Wondering Trumpeter), 1989 *''Η συμμορία της Άρπας'' (The Harps's Gang), 1993 *''Θυμάμαι τη Μαρία'' (I remember Maria), 1994 *''Η μυρωδιά τους με κάνει να κλαίω'' (Their Smell Makes me Cry, translated into English by Patricia Felisa Barbeito and Vangelis Calotychos), 1996 *''Η μέρα για τα γραπτά κι η νύχτα για το σώμα'' (Days Good for Writing and Nights Suit the Body), 1999 *''Δυο φορές Έλληνας'' (Twice a Greek), 2001 *''Νώε'' (Noah), 2003 *''Η γυναίκα που πετά'' (The Woman that Flies), 2006

Selected translations

* Hesse, Hermann, ''Ντέμιαν'' (

Demian ''Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth'' is a Bildungsroman by Hermann Hesse, first published in 1919; a prologue was added in 1960. ''Demian'' was first published under the pseudonym "Emil Sinclair", the name of the narrator of the story, ...

), 1961 * Mc Cullers, Carson, ''Η μπαλλάντα του λυπημένου καφενείου'' (The Ballad of the Sad Cafe), 1969 * Faulkner, William, ''Καθώς ψυχορραγώ'' (

As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of 20th-century literature.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to Wor ...

), 1970 * Carroll, Lewis, ''Η Αλίκη στη χώρα των θαυμάτων'' (

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a ...

), 1972 * Büchner, Georg, ''Λεντς'' (

Lenz Lenz may refer to: Places * Lenasia, Gauteng Province, South Africa, a township often called Lenz * Lantsch/Lenz, Canton of Grisons, Switzerland, a municipality * Lenz, Hood River County, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Lenz, Klamath County, ...

), 1977 * Melville, Herman, ''Μπάρτλεμπυ, ο γραφιάς κι άλλες ιστορίες'' (

Bartleby, the Scrivener "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" is a short story by the American writer Herman Melville, first serialized anonymously in two parts in the November and December 1853 issues of ''Putnam's Magazine'' and reprinted with minor text ...

), 1980

References

External links

His entry for the 2001 Frankfurt Book Fair (Greek)His page at Kedros PublishersHis page at the website of the Hellenic Authors' Society (Greek)
an
(English)
*
An interview (18 November 2007) (Greek)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koumandareas, Menis 1931 births 2014 deaths Writers from Athens National and Kapodistrian University of Athens alumni 20th-century Greek novelists Greek essayists Greek translators People murdered in Greece 20th-century translators 20th-century essayists Greek male novelists