The program traveled between Paris and Athens, bringing into the studio the driving force behind Librairie grecque Desmos, Giannis Mavroeidakos, who for more than four decades has been promoting Greek literature in the heart of the French capital.
Mr. Mavroeidakos traced the history of Desmos, a landmark meeting point for intellectuals and artists from Greece and France, including Vassilis Alexakis, Roviros Manthoulis, Kostas Axelos, Aris Fakinos, Adonis Kyrou, and Jacqueline de Romilly.
Beyond its role as a bookshop, Desmos also operates as a publishing house, a cultural space, and a center for Greek language learning, where 95 students of all ages attend courses in the heart of Paris. Joining the program by phone were his daughter, Kleio Mavroeidakou, who now leads the publishing house, continuing its enduring connection with Greece, and Sofia Kalogeropoulou, responsible for the Greek language program.
The occasion for the discussion is a book presentation taking place on Friday 03 April 2026, at 18:00, at Le Livre Ouvert, featuring bilingual (Greek–French) short stories published by Desmos by Epirus-born author Giannis Paschos.
The conversation also highlights the festival L’Europe autour de l’Europe, which includes a special tribute to Greek cinema. Four short films will be screened on Friday 03 April 2026, from 18:30 to 20:30, at Le Studio des Ursulines. As part of this tribute, a short film from the Desmos archives will also be presented, “Sklavos: A Brief Commentary on a Great Work”, a 27-minute documentary on the life and work of the distinguished 20th-century sculptor Gerasimos Sklavos, who lived and created in Paris.