Author Annita Panaretou, whose book “Michalis Akylas and the First Eight: Seizing the Light” was recently published by Hestia Editions, is the guest on “Remarkable Personalities” with Stavroula Karali on Voice of Greece on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, at 22:00 Athens time.
Panaretou discusses the life and legacy of Michalis Akylas, a lesser-known yet significant figure of German-occupied Athens during the Second World War.
An Air Force officer, poet, and man of letters, Akylas moved between intellectual pursuits and active resistance during a period marked by profound political and ideological divisions. His story reflects the dilemmas, aspirations, and contradictions of a generation confronted with some of the most defining events in modern Greek history.
Drawing on extensive historical research, limited surviving testimonies, and archival sources, Panaretou reconstructs Akylas’s life—from his early years and military career to his literary work and his execution in June 1942 at the Kaisariani Shooting Range. He was among the first Greek hostages executed in reprisal by the German occupation forces, in what became the first such retaliatory execution carried out in occupied Greece.
The program also explores the human dimension of his story through his relationship with Marina Perliggi and through the testimonies of prominent literary figures who knew him personally, including Elias Venezis, Andreas Embirikos, Giorgos Theotokas, I. M. Panagiotopoulos, and Stratis Myrivilis.
Produced and presented by Stavroula Karali
Sound engineer: Giorgos Kostopoulos
Broadcast: Wednesday, 10 June 2026, at 22:00 Athens time
