ABOUT US AND THIS SITE

ΜENELAOS STEPHANIDES

Constantinople 1923 – Athens 2007

Menelaos Stephanides, the author of ‘Greek Mythology’, originally studied economics in Athens but his main preoccupation was writing.

For more than twenty-five years he concentrated, with great success, on the retelling of ancient Greek myths, tirelessly studying the source materials to achieve his literary version of the many stories. Working with his brother, the artist and illustrator Yannis Stephanides, he wrote and published the 18-volume series ‘Greek Mythology’ for children, which was translated into several languages and later reissued as a pocket book for older readers. He then turned his attention to more recent Greek tradition, studying hundreds of folk tales the most appealing of which he retold in the highly successful 10-volume series ‘Folk Tales from Greece’.

Menelaos Stephanides’ name is now familiar in many parts of the world, thanks to the translation of both his mythology and the folk tales into several foreign languages. In 1989 his book ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ was awarded two Pier Paolo Vergerio honourable distinctions by the University of Padua, while in 1998 his entire published work was recommended by the Hellenic Ministry of Education for inclusion in school libraries, having already long been recognised as a source of reference for publishers, the reading public and educationalists.

YANNIS STEPHANIDES

Fergana 1919 - Athens 2010

The artist and illustrator Yannis Stephanides, more than 250 of whose drawings adorn the eight volumes of the Greek Mythology series, was one of the most important painters of his generation. He studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts. In addition to painting, he worked as a book illustrator, a field in which he became known both in Greece and abroad. Among his major achievements are the more than five hundred colour illustrations he created for the 18-volume children's edition of Greek Mythology, a landmark in publications for young people that has been translated into eleven languages.

From 1995 he has also made a name for himself as an author, illustrating his own books.

Yannis Stephanides's work has been displayed at many painting, printmaking and illustration exhibitions in Athens and at international venues.

He was awarded the Pier Paolo Vergerio European Prize for book illustration by the University of Padua in 1989, and in 1998 he received an award from the Greek section of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People). He also won an "Excellent" award at the International Print Biennale 2000 in Qingdao, China.

FOTINI STEFANIDI

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Born in Athens in 1962, Photini Stephanidi, daughter of the painter and illustrator Yannis Stephanides, studied painting and engraving at the Athens School of Fine Art and has since made a name for herself as an engraver and book illustrator. Her published work includes pictures for many children’s books and several collectors’ editions illustrated with her woodcuts. She has held exhibitions of her paintings and engravings in Greece and abroad. Her work has also been displayed at international book illustration and design exhibitions all over the world.

She has received more than 30 national and international distinctions (State awards, IBBY awards, international biennale distinctions, etc.).