Greek author receives Goethe Medal
Greek author and translator Petros Markaris was bestowed the Goethe Medal 2013 in a ceremony that took place at the Residential Palace in Weimar on Wednesday. Also receiving the coveted award were Iranian author S. Mahmoud Hosseini Zad and Indian publisher Naveen Kishore.
According to the organizers Markaris was honored for acting as a “liaison” between Greece and Germany and maintaining a “clear, analytical view” on both countries even at times of crisis.
In his acceptance speech, Markaris, who was born in Istanbul in 1937, spoke of his love and devotion to the German language and literature and mentioned how it was his father who urged him to study German.
The Goethe Medal was awarded for the first time in 1954.
