Agni Stroumbouli: “Bullets as Grapes”: struggle or dance
12/02/2026
Maria Papayanni
Maria Papayanni was born in Larissa. She studied Greek Philology and subsequently worked as a journalist in radio, television, newspapers, and magazines. In 1996, she married the composer Thanos Mikroutsikos, and they had two children. Since 2001, when her first book, Goodnight, Mommy (Kalinyxta, mama), was published by Patakis Publishers, she has been writing books for children of all ages, young adult novels, librettos, and lyrics for musical theatre performances.
Her books have been honored with significant awards. Her fairy tale Another Day You Will Win (Mia alli mera tha nikiseis esy), illustrated by Eve Tharlet, has also been released in France, Germany, England, Finland, and Korea. Her novels have been published in Russia, Romania, Hungary, Serbia, and North Macedonia.
She was twice a candidate for the International Hans Christian Andersen Award (in 2020 and 2022) and served as the Ambassador for Children's Books for the 2021–2022 period.
For more information, visit: https://mariapapayanni.gr/
Program Overview
Have you ever heard of a special tree, one entwined with legends and wondrous events? Throughout history, the tree has stood as a symbol across all cultures, mythologies, and religions. Join us as we listen to trees as they "speak" through literary texts—prose, poetry, and drama. Let us seek out trees in songs, fairy tales, and world mythologies. In the stories of Maria Papagianni, trees often play a leading role. They feel pain, they mourn, they sense, they communicate, and they befriend dreaming children. Often possessing magical properties, they consistently unite heroes toward a common purpose. How can nature serve as a window into the past and the memory of a place, or even as the catalyst for a magical story? Perhaps, amidst the frantic rhythms of our daily lives, it is time to pause and learn how to listen to the trees.
Προτεινόμενη βιβλιογραφία:
- Μαρία Παπαγιάννη, Χρυσά κουπιά, Εκδόσεις Πατάκη
- Giono Jean-Έφη Λαδά, Ο άνθρωπος που φύτευε δέντρα, Ελληνικές Εκδόσεις
- Peter Wohlleben, Η μυστική ζωή των δέντρων, Εκδόσεις Πατάκη
