Alexandros Papadiamantis: An influential novelist, short-story writer and poet
Alexandros Papadiamantis was born in Skiathos on March 3, 1851 and was the son of priest Adamantiou Emmanuel and Angeliki, the daughter of Alexandros Moraitides. He finished elementary school and the first two grades of the Greek School in Skiathos. He studied at a school in Skopelos, Piraeus and finally got a high school diploma from Varvakeion High School in 1874.
In September of the same year, he enrolled in the Philosophy School of the University of Athens, from which he never graduated, while he wrote his first lyric poem about his mother. He taught himself English and French.
To make a living, he gave private lessons and published texts and translations in newspapers. In July 1872, he followed the monk Nifona to Mount Athos, where he stayed for a few months, but found that the monastic lifestyle did not suit him. However, he never missed the Sunday church service at Agios Elissaios in Monastiraki, where he sang as cantor. In 1879, the novel "Metanastis" was published in the newspaper "Neologos".
In 1882, he began publishing his novel "Merchants of Nations" in the newspaper "Don`t get lost". In 1884 he began to publish his novel "Giftopoula" in "Acropolis", where from 1892 to 1897 he worked as a regular contributor. From 1902 to 1904 he lived in Skiathos from where he published "Fonissa".
His work includes about 180 short stories and novellas that refer to the poor classes of Athens and Skiathos and few poems of religious content. On March 13, 1908, "Parnassos" celebrated its 25th anniversary in Greek letters, under the patronage of Princess Marie Bonaparte.
Immediately after that he returns to his homeland where he lives until the end of his life. He died at dawn on January 3, 1911 from pneumonia.