On Sunday, November 17, 2024, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM (Athens time), the show “Our Town” will dedicate a tribute to Vassilis Vassilikos.
The prolific novelist left a lasting mark on literature, distinguished by his resistance during turbulent times and his contribution to the Lambrakis case through his novel Z, which was adapted into a film by Costa-Gavras.
The program will highlight the rich and widely translated body of work by this profoundly political and socially engaged author, screenwriter, and journalist. It will also explore the cities where he lived and created, his favorite authors (such as Camus, Kundera, Cortázar, Kazantzakis, Sartre), many of whom he connected with personally and shared common ideals. Additionally, it will examine the influential roles he held, such as director at the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), ambassador to UNESCO, and member of Parliament.
Live on the show, writer and coordinator of Open Art Alexandros Asonitis and professor of Philology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA), Thanasis Agathos, will discuss Vassilikos’ legacy. Excerpts from his groundbreaking novel Z will be read by actors Pemi Zouni and Yiannos Perlegkas.
As Linos Politis once remarked, “Vassilikos expressed, in a new, modern language—a dense and multifaceted language—the dissolution, confusion, disappointment, protest, and escape that characterize and define the fourth dimension of his enigmatic era.”
The episode will also feature songs from the heroic Polytechnic Uprising, as the broadcast coincides with its anniversary.
Produced and presented by Themis Rodamitis
Broadcast: Sunday, November 17, 2024, 12:00-2:00 PM (Greek time)
Rebroadcast: Monday, November 18, 2024, 4:00-6:00 AM
