Menis Koumandareas (Greek: Μένης Κουμανταρέας; 4 January 1931 – 6 December 2014) was an acclaimed Greek writer. He attended classes in the Philosophy and Law schools of the University of Athens, as well as in a drama school, but he did not complete his studies in any of these fields. Instead, he worked for a while as a journalist, and then as a clerk in seafaring and insurance companies.

Since 1961, he has been active as a writer and a translator. His texts have been published in many Greek literary periodicals. He has been awarded the State Prize for Short Story (twice, 1967 and 1997) and for Novel (twice, 1975 and 2002). He used to be a member of the Board of Directors for the Greek National Opera from 1982 to 1986.

The acclaimed Greek writer Menis Koumandareas was found murdered in his home on Saturday morning in the central Athenian neighborhood of Kypseli.

The 83-year-old writer lived alone. His body was discovered by a nephew who became concerned for his well-being after being unable to contact his uncle.

His body bore evidence of violence, including contusions to his face. Police said there were no signs of forced entry in the home, though it appeared that a search had been conducted in some of the rooms.

An autopsy is expected to reveal the exact cause of death on Monday.

Koumandareas, born in Athens in 1931, earned numerous awards for his prose and was an active proponent of the resistance against the 1967-1974 military dictatorship. He received the National Writing Award for "The Glass Factory" in 1976 and for "Twice a Greek" in 2002, among other distinctions, and saw his work featured at the 2001 Frankfurt Book Fair.

He was also a prolific translator and one of the founding members of the Greek Authors' Society.

He was found dead 6 December 2014, in his apartment in Athens.

Works

Prose

• Τα μηχανάκια (Pin-ball Machines), 1962
• Το αρμένισμα (The Saint), 1967
• Τα καημένα (The Burnt Ones), 1972
• Βιοτεχνία Υαλικών (Glass Factory), 1975
• Η κυρία Κούλα (Koula), 1978
• Το κουρείο (The Barber Shop), 1979
• Σεραφείμ και Χερουβείμ (Seraphim and Cherubim), 1981
• Ο ωραίος Λοχαγός (The Handsome Lieutenant), 1982
• Η φανέλα με τό εννιά (Vest No 9), 1986
• Πλανόδιος Σαλπιγκτής (The Wondering Trumpeter), 1989
• Η συμμορία της Άρπας (The Harps’s Gang), 1993
• Θυμάμαι τη Μαρία (I remember Maria), 1994
• Η μυρωδιά τους με κάνει να κλαίω (Their Smell Makes me Cry), 1996
• Η μέρα για τα γραπτά κι η νύχτα για το σώμα (Days Good for Writing and Nights Suit the Body), 1999
• Δυο φορές Έλληνας (Twice a Greek), 2001
• Νώε (Noah), 2003
• Η γυναίκα που πετά (The Woman that Flies), 2006

Selected translations

• Hesse, Hermann, Ντέμιαν (Demian), 1961
• Mc Cullers, Carson, Η μπαλλάντα του λυπημένου καφενείου (The Ballad of the Sad Cafe), 1969
• Faulkner, William, Καθώς ψυχορραγώ (As I Lay Dying), 1970
• Carroll, Lewis, Η Αλίκη στη χώρα των θαυμάτων (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), 1972
• Büchner, Georg, Λεντς (Lenz), 1977
• Melville, Herman, Μπάρτλεμπυ, ο γραφιάς κι άλλες ιστορίες (Bartleby, the Scrivener), 1980

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