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Nikos Gatsos (Νίκος Γκάτσος) (8 December 1911–12 May 1992) was a Greek writer and poet.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Translation 3 Lyrics 4 Links

He was born in Kato Asea (Chania Frankovrisis) in Arcadia, where he finished primary school (dimotiko). He attended high school (gymnasio) in Tripoli, where he became accustomed to literary books and to the self-teaching methods of foreign languages. Afterwards, he moved to Athens where he studied at the department of philosophy of the University of Athens. His knowledge of English and French was quite good and he was already familiar with Kostis Palamas, Dionysios Solomos, Greek folk songs, and maybe the neoterist trends of European poetry. In Athens, he came in contact with the literary circles of his time and published his poems, small in extent and in a classic style, in the magazines of Nea Estia (1931) and Rythmos (1933). During that period he also wrote notes of criticism in Makedonikes Imeres (Μακεδονικές Ημέρες), Rythmos (Ρυθμός) and Nea Grammata (Νέα Γράμματα) (for poet Kostis Bastias, poetess Myrtidiotissa and Thrasos Kastanakis, respectively).

In 1943 Aetos published his poetry collection Amorgos, which was a major contribution to contemporary Greek poetry. This was the only book he ever published. Nevertheless, his work is considered as one of the most outstanding poetic works of Greek surrealism. He subsequently published three more poems: Elegeio (1946) in Filologika Chronika, The Knight and Death (Ο Ιππότης και ο Θάνατος) (1947) and Song of Old Times (Τραγούδι του παλιού καιρού) (1936), dedicated to Seferis, in Tachydromos magazine. He also wrote studies and essays on poetry.

After World War II he worked with the Greek-British Review as a translator and with the Elliniki Radiophonia Tileorasi as a radio-director. During that period he also began writing lyrics on the music of Manos Hatzidakis, opening a brilliant career in modern Greek songwriting.

Nikos Gatsos devoted a lot of time to translating plays, mainly for Greek National Theatre, the Greek Theatre of Art and the Greek Popular Theatre. In 1944 he translated (for Filologika Chronika) the poem Night song by Federico García Lorca. He also translated the following theatrical plays:

• Federico García Lorca
  • Blood Wedding
  • The House of Bernarda Alba

• August Strindberg
  • The Father

• Eugene O'Neill
  • Long Day's Journey Into Night

All of the plays he translated were staged at the Greek National Theatre and the Greek Theatre of Art. He also cooperated with the Nea Estia, Tram, Makedonikes Imeres, Mikro Tetradio, Nea Grammata, Filologika Chronika and Kallitechnika Nea magazines. In addition, he directed some theatrical plays during his cooperation with Greek radio.

Nikos Gatsos played a great role in Greek song. He cooperated as a writer of lyrics with great Greek composers. Lyrics of his were turned into songs by Manos Hatzidakis, Mikis Theodorakis, Stavros Xarchakos, and Lukianos Kelaidonis. He had a special relationship with Manos Hatzidakis.

He died in Athens on 12 May 1992.

Site at the University of Patras (in Greek)