Elli Alexíu

Born May 22, 1900, in Herakleion, on the island of Crete. Greek writer and daughter of a writer.

Alexiu was a member of the Resistance during the fascist occupation. From 1948 to 1962 she lived in countries of the people’s democracies. After she returned to Greece, she took part in the struggle for peace and democracy. In 1931 she published the collection of short stories The Cruel Struggle for a Small Life. In the novels The Third Christian Institute for Noble Girls (1934), The Lumpen (1940), The Channels (1955), With the Lyre (1959), and And So On (1964) and in the collection of short stories The Libation (1964), Alexiu posed questions that concern all humanity. She depicted simple folk and looked for ways of freeing them from social injustice. For children she wrote the fairy tale The Fat Man and the Nimble Girl (1939) and the collection She Wanted to Be Called a Lady (1956).