Journalist and author Vasilis Tzanakaris is featured in the program “Remarkable Personalities” with Stavroula Karali on Wednesday, 06 May 2026, at 22:00 (Athens time).
He speaks about the central figure of his book, Amalia — a real woman whose life was shaped by displacement, poverty and war. Born in Smyrna, her story traces a harsh and compelling journey from the Asia Minor coast to interwar Athens and post-war Thessaloniki, shedding light on a lesser-known side of modern Greek history.
Set against a backdrop of social unrest and marginal lives, the discussion delves into the unseen world of the streets — cramped rooms, silences and invisible people — where history unfolds beyond the official narrative.
This is also the era of Greece’s own “Bonnie and Clyde,” the Athanasopoulos contractor case that shocked public opinion, and of shadowy para-state mechanisms seemingly present behind acts of violence — with the assassinations of Grigoris Lambrakis and George Polk marking some of the darkest chapters in the country’s history.
The conversation further explores society’s complex stance towards such women — figures it often rejects while simultaneously exploiting — while also seeking the “Amalias” of today.
Produced and presented by Stavroula Karali
Sound Engineering: Effie Georgopoulou
Broadcast: Wednesday, 06 May 2026, 22:00–23:00 (Athens time)
