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PAPAYANNI MARIA

Maria Papayanni was born in 1964 in Larisa. She studied Greek Language and Literature at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, after which she worked as a journalist for radio, television, newspapers, and magazines. In 1996 she married music composer Thanos Mikroutsikos and they had two children. Since 2001, when her first book, "Good Night, Mama" was published by Patakis Publishers, she has been writing for children and young adults.

Her books have received significant awards, while her fairy tale “I Want To Win!”, illustrated by Eva Tharlet, was also released in France, Germany, England, Finland and Korea. Editions of her novels are published in Russia, Romania, Serbia and North Macedonia.

She has also authored plays and librettos for the performances "Traveling with the Southern Cross," "Isn't It Strange?," and "Tell It with a Fairy Tale," set to the music of Thanos Mikroutsikos. Her play "The Enigma of Trull" was presented by the mobile unit of the Theater of the New World to children in institutional and hospital care. In 2023, she wrote the theatrical monologue "On the Butterfly's Wing", set to the music of Nikos Kypourgos and performed by the Philharmonic of the Municipality of Chalandri at the Alternative stage of the Greek National Opera.

Maria Papayanni is a member of the Greek Section of IBBY. She was twice nominated for the H.C. Andersen Award, in 2020 and 2022, and Children's Book Ambassador for 2021-2022.

More about author:

First name:	MARIA
Last name:	PAPAYANNI
Projects:	«Goodnight, Mama» Illustrated by Daniela Stamatiadi, Patakis Publishers, 2001 «An Adventure for Romeo» Illustrated by Michael Kountouris, Patakis Publishers, 2003 «Will you Do Me a Favour, Santa?» Illustrated by Elli Griva, Patakis Publishers, 2003 «Catch Them!» (co-written with Philippos Mandilaras) Patakis Publishers, 2003 «Who’s in Charge?» Illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis, Sophia Touliatou, Patakis Publishers,2004 «How Long is Always?» Illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis, Sophia Touliatou, Patakis Publishers,2005 «Tomorrow the Earth Will Grow» Illustrated by Apostolos Karastergiou, Patakis Publishers,2005 «Top of The Class» Illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis, Sophia Touliatou, Patakis Publishers,2005 «As If By Magic» Patakis Publishers,2006 «The accidental Bookworm!» Illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis, Sophia Touliatou, Patakis Publishers,2006 «The Dream Thief» Illustrated by Alessandra Toni, Patakis Publishers,2006 «Go to the Blackboard!» Illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis, Sophia Touliatou, Patakis Publishers, 2007 «Isn’t it Strange?» Illustrated by Katerina Vagia, The Athens Concert Hall (Megaron),2007 «Back to School» Illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis,Sophia Touliatou, Patakis Publishers,2008 «Christmas: Time for Miracles» Illustrated by Eleni Tsampra, Patakis Publishers,2008 «My Name is Maya» Illustrated by Yorgos Sgouros, Patakis Publishers,2008 «Around the World on a Bicycle» Illustrated by Sophia Touliatou, Patakis Publishers, 2009 «The Lonesome Tree» Patakis Publishers,2010 «Christmas Topsy-Turvy» Illustrated by Petros Christoulias, Patakis Publishers,2012 «Ellie on the Μoon» Illustrated by Thanassis Dimou, Patakis Publishers,2012 «I Want To Win!» Illustrated by Eve Tharlet, First edition published simultaneously in English/French/German by Minedition, 2013 «Miltos, Mina, Rosalia, Che, and the... suitcase» Maria Papayanni’s story “Che and his Father” is included in this collection of stories that the authors donated to A.P.H.C.A., Association for the Psychosocial Health of Children And Adolescents (A.P.H.C.A.)2013 «There and Always Elsewhere» Patakis Publishers, 2014 «Petros’ stories» Illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis, Sophia Touliatou, Patakis Publishers,2014 «The King Who Had Too Much of Everything» Illustrated by Effie Lada, Patakis Publishers, 2015 «Ellie’s Secret Recipe» Illustrated by Thanassis Dimou, Patakis Publishers, 2015 «Shoes with Wings» Patakis Publishers,2016 «The Moonling» Illustrated by Effie Lada, Patakis Publishers, 2017 «Say it with a fairytale. The Adventures of Nils» Illustrated by Myrto Delivoria, Patakis Publishers, 2018 «Say it with a fairytale. The Silver Skates» Illustrated by Myrto Delivoria, Patakis Publishers, 2019 «Tell, Tell a Story» llustrated by Iris Samartzi, Patakis Publishers, 2020 «The Path to love» llustrated by Louiza Karageorgiou, Patakis Publishers, 2020 «The Golden Oars» Patakis Publishers,2021 «The Pot That Sang Stories» Illustrated by Myrto Delivoria, Patakis Publishers, 2020 «Thekla’s Treasure», Illustrated by Chiara Fedele, Patakis Publishers, 2020 «The Golden Oars» Patakis Publishers,2021 «To Together» llustrated by Iris Samartzi, Patakis Publishers, 2022 «Dido Is a Shooting Star» Patakis Publishers,2023 «Goodnight mama!» (revised edition) Illustrated by Daniela Stamatiadi, Patakis Publishers, 2024 «Say it with a fairytale, Heidi» Illustrated by Effie Lada, Patakis Publishers,2024
Address:	Dompoli 17 11636 ATHENS
Date of birth:	1964
Birth place:	LARISSA
Abstract title:	Wrong Measure («THE LONESOME TREE»)
Abstract text:	Marko came out of his hiding place and looked around, over the rocks to the gorge and the sea far away. He walked right up to the edge of the crevice. The points of his shoes were balancing over the dark precipice. He raised his arms, spread them and felt the void pulling at him. He heard a wild joy in himself calling to him: ‘Fly!’ He was rattled. ‘All the things sleeping within that we don’t know about,’ he thought. He remembered this wasn’t the first time he wanted to fly. Another time, when he was little, his grandfather had taken him along, just him, high up to his shack at the top of the mountain. It was a very small space but in recent years, ever since his grandmother died, his grandpa lived there by himself. He came down once a month to bring them milk or salty cheese or yoghurt. Marko had spent one night with him there. He hadn’t liked it at first. Grandpa and the hut smelled of sheep. Marko was too embarrassed to say that smell made him queasy. But his grandfather sensed it and suggested they sleep outside. He took him by the hand and led him to the edge of the rock. Their village was a mere dot. The mountains going on forever and so was the sea. “This is where I come to remind myself how small I am,” he whispered behind the boy’s back. “What is there, grandpa, past all that?” ”Much kindness, much pain. Justice and wrongdoing.” “And us?” “We go from one to the other.” “And us?” “What about us?” “Whose side are we on, grandpa?” “Whose side are we on?” His grandfather laughed and then suddenly went quiet. “Whichever is decided by the weighing scales that we carry within us. Even though we may not know it. We all have a pair of scales inside us. For the big issues and the small. The easy and the difficult. Sometimes, though, with all the noise around us, we forget our own scales and weigh with someone else’s. And we do what others like. That’s why I’ve come here so many times, away from people, to forget what others wanted and remember what I wanted.” “Me, grandpa, I’m going to travel all over the world and come back to tell you what I saw.” “Nah, my boy, it’s the same everywhere. I’ve gone on a lot of trips just staying right here. On my own. There is a rock that is the right one for each of us. I’ve found mine. Here, that’s where I’ve sat for many years and that’s where I want to stay. Under this rock. And if I’m lucky, I’ll take root and my branches will gaze out onto the same world. But you, too, should do what you want. Only, when you get back from your journeys, remember to come here. So that your scales get a chance to rest and they don’t err. And I’ll be here waiting for you.”
Awards:	«As If By Magic» Greek IBBY Award Diavazo Literary Magazine Award «Catch Them!» Greek IBBY Honor «The Lonesome Tree» State Prize Diavazo Literary Magazine Award «Shoes With Wings» Greek IBBY Award «The King Who Had Too Much of Everything» White Ravens catalogue «To Together» Greek IBBY Award
E-mail:	info@mariapapayanni.gr
Website:	www.mariapapayanni.gr

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