Used • Language: Greek

André Suarès. Christos Evelpidis.
A Study and a translation.
Published by "ALPHA" I. M. SKAZIKI. Athens 1947
First edition 430 numbered copies, of which the first 30 were not sold commercially.
102/430
A quite rare book.
Elegant hardcover on heavy paper, 102 pages, 23X18 cm. The cover slightly worn. The interior in very good condition. Very few faint pencil underlinings.

The first part of the book is an in-depth study of the poet. The second part is a translation of the work Temples Grecs, maisons des Dieux (Greek Temples, Houses of Gods). At the end, there is a biographical note about the poet.

André Suarès (real name Isaac Félix Suarès, 1868–1948) was an important French poet, essayist, critic, and playwright, one of the four "pillars" of the Nouvelle Revue Française (NRF) along with Gide, Claudel, and Valéry. Known for his lyrical, often dark style, Suarès (born in Marseille) left a rich body of work focusing on art, history, and existential anguish.
Main elements of his life and work:
• Birth & Studies: Born on June 12, 1868, in Marseille, and studied at École Normale Supérieure.
• NRF: From 1912, he became a key collaborator of the Nouvelle Revue Française, significantly contributing to the literary scene.
• Work: Distinguished for his essays, portraits (such as those of Dostoevsky, Shakespeare), and lyrical works, often using pseudonyms like Yves Scantrel.
• Honors: In 1935, awarded the Grand Prix de Littérature of the French Academy.
• Death: Died in 1948 at the age of 80 in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés.
Suarès was an independent and often rebellious intellectual figure, also known as "the insurgent" (l'insurgé).
After his trip to Italy, Suarès went to Sicily, where the most beautiful Greek temples were located. His pages about these houses dedicated to gods are considered very valuable: they tell us what a place is and its dwelling or how to worship the ineffable, regardless of the tragedy.

Christos Evelpidis (1895–1971)
• Literary Work: Left behind a rich oeuvre including scientific studies, essays, and literary texts (poems, fairy-tale dramas like "With the Magic of May").
• Photography: Was a passionate amateur photographer. His archive, kept at the General State Archives, includes over 8,000 slides from Greece and his travels.
There is no preface or biography introducing the author to today’s reader. Only two other books of his are mentioned, published within the 1940s. Even the reissue of Polítika is not clarified. Looking back at the peak of the first edition, we find that the book was printed in summer 1945 at the Printing House of Petros Sergiadis, in a thousand copies, published by Argyris Papazisis. It probably did not belong to any circle or even a cycle of a magazine or a union; attachments that have always helped the memory of bibliographers, especially the recognition by experts and non-experts alike. However, the traces of Christos Evelpidis do not disappear in the second half of the last century. On the contrary, he appears active at least until 1981, when he published the book-album "Greece Blossoms" (The Publications of Friends). An original travelogue, with texts and photographs of archaeological sites "from Ancient Greece and the Greek Middle Ages". By 1981, Evelpidis had published ten books varying in genre, starting with the "fairy-tale drama" With the Magic of May, printed in October 1943, and set to music in 1949 by his contemporary Nikos Skalkottas shortly before his death. One of his significant vocal works for mezzo-soprano and choir ad libitum.

He was born in the Peran neighborhood of the City and studied at the Greek-French Lyceum of Hatzichristos. Christos Evelpidis came to Athens in 1918, studied engineering at the National Technical University, and worked as a civil servant occupying senior positions as an expert on technical matters. Besides his archival treasures, he published poems, short stories, two novels, the novel Fuga in 1952, considered his most important book, and a study on the Marseillais poet and essayist André Suarès, published together with the translation of his work Greek Temples, Houses of Gods. The mystic Suarès likely served as a model for Christos Evelpidis.

Artistically, Evelpidis took great care of his books.

The "Alpha" Editions (I. M. Skazikis) were an important publishing house in Athens, mainly known for publishing significant works of Greek literature, such as the first books of Elias Venezis (e.g., "Aegean Land", 1943) and "Number 31328". I. M. Skazikis curated artistically important editions during the 1940s and 1950s.
These editions were characterized by their refined quality, including luxurious editions.
In 1943, the experienced typographer I. M. Skazikis founded the "Alpha" publishing house. Skazikis published many works by Greek authors, producing high-quality, carefully crafted, and artistically excellent editions.