Iakovos Kambanellis is regarded by many as the father of contemporary Greek theatre. Born on the island of Naxos in 1922, he was one of nine children. Economic hardship caused the family to move to Athens, where their situation deteriorated; consequently, the young Kambanellis was forced to leave school and work, but he continued his studies at an evening technical school, and read whatever books he could afford. In 1942 he was arrested while trying to escape from Greece during the German occupation; he was interned in Mauthausen Concentration Camp for three years, and owed his survival to a German Hellenophile who worked in the drafting office. On his return to Greece, Kambanellis began writing a column in an Athens newspaper before turning to the theatre and film. From 1950 to 2007 he…
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Citation: Holst-Warhaft, Gail. "Iakovos Kambanellis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 January 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12308, accessed 24 November 2024.]
