Axioti, Melpo (1906–1973)

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Axioti, Melpo (1906–1973)

Greek novelist and poet. Name variations: Melpo Axiote. Born 1906 in Athens, Greece; died 1973 in Greece; attended school at a Roman Catholic convent on the island of Tinos (1918–22).

Joined Communist Party (1936) and fought in Greek resistance during WWII; went to France to escape possible imprisonment for political activities (1947) and met important intellectuals, including Paul Eluard and Louis Aragon; expelled from France (1950), went to East Germany, where she taught Modern Greek at the Classics Institute of Humboldt University; returned to Greece (1964); works include poetry collection Coincidence (1939) and novels Difficult Nights (1938), Shall We Dance, Maria? (1940), Twentieth Century (1946), and Kadmo (1972).

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