Life surprises us sometimes. And even when you come to the point and say "this is it", for what I wrote and what I said, for what I have suffered and fought for, for the many truths and injustice, "this is where it ends" - because the time is near.
But life even in the last-minute surprises you. And while I was in that moment of "this is all I could do", a reader comes from Brussels unknown to me but with a deep love for my books, to honor me.
And I learned that he is the Permanent Representative of Greece to the European Union, the ambassador, Mr. Ioannis Vrailas, who announced to me that, in an initiative launched by the Library of the Council of the European Union (where each country proposes the book of an author), he chose my novel "The Wooden Wall" as the Greek suggestion, for its "pure values" he said when we spoke.
And I have no words to thank him.
I feel deeply grateful.
I struggled a lot to retrieve these "pure values" from the distant past, to bring them into the dimension of our present time. I walked step by step for two and a half thousand years, to write this novel so that young people will appreciate it so that they can find their roots.
I am selecting a short excerpt from the article on the site of the Library of the Council of the European Union for the initiative: Readers of Europe Reading List.
In the proposed novel there should be, they stated, a symbolism about the dilemmas of humanity in times of crisis, in this case, a clear reference to the ordeal of the pandemic that struck the planet.
And among other things, the ambassador Mr. Ioannis Vrailas in his article states:
Maria Lampadaridou Pothou’s historical novel The Wooden Wall offers a fascinating insight into the values, beliefs and fears of the Ancient Greeks.
It highlights the importance of enlightened leadership, especially when confronted with hubris, the arrogance that fuelled the Persians’ dreams of dominance.
The Wooden Wall’ offers inspiration in these trying times and reminds us of the timeless value of democratic principles.
Ancient Greek literary works need no introduction. But modern Greek literature has also produced several masterpieces, not least the works of two Nobel Prize laureates – Giorgos Seferis and Odysseas Elytis".
I want to thank Patakis Publications, the distinguished Mrs. Anna Pataki, who in a time of deep crisis, 2017 and February 2018, published my six hundred-page novel and sent it on a new journey.
But above all, I want to thank the Permanent Representative of Greece to the EU, Ambassador Mr. Ioannis Vrailas, who honored my book - for the values of the book.
I wish you all a good morning with white sea winds and thanks.
Nothing is given to us - even the smallest gift must be won with a clear struggle and our own beliefs!
Posted on July 28, 2020
