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A collective act of resistance to
oppression in Greece, Eighteen Texts
is a reaffirmation of faith in certain
fundamental human values, chief among
them freedom of thought and expression.
The right to free artistic and
intellectual creation is bound to the
dignity of man, insist its authors, who
had been silent since the military coup
of April 1967 because they had refused
to submit their works to the censors.
But, taking advantage of the purported
relaxation of censorship and putting
aside fear of reprisal, they abandoned
their silent disapproval to produce this
volume.
Published in Athens and sold out
overnight, Eighteen Texts is a
testimony from within. It operated
publicly and directly under the watchful
eyes of an oppressive regime. What is
more important, it operated
successfully. According to the
Manchester Guardian, its publication
"encouraged other writers who started
bringing their work out once more."
This volume and the underground
literature that directly preceded it
introduced a new era in Greek
literature. New writing techniques are
evolving as some writers attempt to find
lost freedom of expression through freer
forms. A variety of genres are here:
four poems, including one by George
Seferis, ten short stories, and four
essays.
In 1831 Alexandros Soustos wrote
about freedom of the press. In 1970
Alexandros Arghyriou saw fit to quote
him.
The press has freedom of
expression provided only you don't
damage state officials, civil servants,
ministers, and high court judges, and
the ministers' own cronies. The press
has freedom of expression provided only
you don't write
"It is a shuddering coincidence,"
writes Stratis Haviaras in his
Introduction to this American edition,
"that the oldest author, George Seferis,
and the youngest, George Himonas, are
both haunted with the same frightening
vision: the extinction of the Greek
people, or worse, of their humanity."
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