VOICE OF GREECE, ERT’s radio station that caters to Greeks worldwide, with a mission to promote and support the Greek language and culture, has once again included in its program the special two-minute poetry segments titled “Poet of the Week”.
Each week is dedicated to a contemporary Greek poet or poetess, with poets from the Greek Diaspora also featured.
The poets themselves curate the radio interpretations, and the poems are paired with musical pieces from beloved creators.
Seven poems each week, one Greek poem every day, travel through the frequencies of VOICE OF GREECE to the farthest corners of the world where Greek voices are heard.
The week from December 2, 2024, to December 8, 2024, is dedicated to poet Nina Alexi.
Music curation: Maria Remboutsika
Sound editing: Eleftheria Papoutsaki – Giorgos Giannakoulas
Broadcast: Monday to Friday at 07:00 and 19:00 Greek time, and on weekends at 19:00 Greek time.
Nina Alexi was born and raised in Germany by Greek parents with Pontic roots. She studied Theater Studies, Performing Arts, and Creative Writing with a scholarship from the British government at Middlesex Polytechnic, (B.A. Performance Arts, Major Drama), theater and dance at WAC Interchange, Associated Guild of Dance and Drama, and the Chantraine School of Dance (1981-1990), among others. She completed a postgraduate program in “Art” at the University of Athens (2015). She worked in theater in both the UK and Greece. She was a radio producer at “London 88” and “GCR.” Through the Environmental Forum in London, she gave lectures on Greek poetry and theater. She served as the chief editor for the “News of London” (1988-1992) and as a correspondent for “News of London” in Athens (1992-1995). She was a long-time teacher of theatrical education at the (Lakonic School), responsible for teaching Roma children and in programs aimed at combating social exclusion for Pontians from the former Soviet Union (KEK Iason).
Her works include: “Adventure in the Forest” (2002), published by Onoma; plays: “Resurrection of Love” (2004), “Women on a Red Background” (2005), published by Dodoni [also in French translation, by Nadia Charalambidou, Des Femmes sur un Fond Rouge, published by Elikranon (2012)]; poetry collections: “Anin Ixelá” (2017), “Ano Throsko” (2019), “Aidio Mními” (2022), published by Alexandria. Studies: “Dionysius Tavoularis (1840-1928) and His Contribution to the ‘Egyptian Scene’ (1864-1913)” in Graeco-Arabica XII, published by Herodotus (2018), “Greek Theatrical Performances in Egypt (1864-1903). Ideological Trends and Aesthetic Perception” in Graeco-Arabica XIII, published by Herodotus (2022). Her poems are included in several anthologies and encyclopedias, such as The Great Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature, Chari Patsi, Vol. 29 (2017), “The Other Half of the Sky, Greek Women Poets of the 20th Century,” Zytros (2021), Encyclopedia of Letters and Arts, Amfiktyonia Hellenismou (2021 & 2024), Encyclopedia of World Poets Association (2021), and more. She has participated in collective works such as: Poems of the Crisis (2008-2018), Iolkos (2020), Conversations with Nikos Kazantzakis (2018), Conversations with Tasos Livaditis (2019), Poems of the Crisis (2008-2018), Iolkos (2020), among others. Her poems have been translated into English, French, Italian, Spanish, Bengali, Arabic, Ondian, and Chinese. She has also translated poetry by Cha Shanging.
She has received numerous awards, including the First Poetry Award in Pontic dialect for her poem “Pontian Mother” (Keleino, 2019), the medal of the International Union of Greek Writers for her contribution to Letters (2022), the Global “International Best Poet Award for 2022” (International Poetry Translation & Research Centre, China, 2022), the “Poets for Peace” medal, Tunisia (2023), and the “Aizu Taro Award” for the 4th Global Gogyoshi Anthology, Japan (2024). She is a member of various scientific committees and juries, including the “Mahadevi Verma Writers Awards” of the Arpita Foundation (India, 2021).