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On the occasion of his visit to Greece, George Saunders gave an extremely interesting interview to Sakis Ioannidis for the newspaper Kathimerini. Read it below: One of Harry Houdini’s first tricks was to free himself from a pair of handcuffs. The locksmith who made them had spent five years perfecting the security mechanism, and it did indeed take the resourceful conjurer over an hour to escape. On the shoulders of the cheering crowd, the king of escape wept. The American short-story writer George Saunders often brings Houdini to mind. The magician who set himself an ever more difficult problem each time. If he failed to unlock his chains, he would fail; but if he freed himself, then the problem became a trick, a performance. His latest book and first novel, ‘Oblivion and Lincoln’ (trans. Giorgos - Ikaros Babasakis, published by Ikaros), won him the Booker Prize in 2017. It is a journey of emotions, humour, love, and the struggle between good and evil in the ‘in-between’, in a spiritual state between the living and the dead, which unfolds as Abraham Lincoln visits the grave of his eleven-year-old son Willie in Georgetown Cemetery. Often, Mr Saunders felt the fear of Houdini struggling to free himself from his bonds. ‘If, as an artist, you want to tackle something difficult, you have to think of new tricks; the old ones won’t work,’ he tells us. “A historical novel, the death of a child, Lincoln – it’s like saying ‘I’m going to write a novel from a chicken’s point of view’. At first you’ll say, hmm, yeah, okay, but if you pull it off, you’ll be like Houdini,” he tells us. The worry Like everything else in his writing life, his latest book began with problems. “When I start a project, my mind makes a list of problems, such as that it might turn out badly, be banal, or tedious, and then I know I have a project. I was worried, but at this stage of my career, not worrying is dangerous. ‘I know how to write a story, and that’s the danger,’ he tells us. George Saunders was born in 1958 in Amarillo, Texas, with Greek roots tracing back to his great-grandfather in Crete. He grew up just outside Chicago in a family full of humour and funny stories. He studied engineering and for a time worked for an oil company that sent him to Sumatra in Indonesia. Until college, he had never left the US, and the travels he undertook afterwards changed his views; he moved from being a conservative to the political spectrum of the American Left. In 1986, at the age of 28, he was accepted onto the creative writing programme at Syracuse University, with the writer Tobias Wolff as his tutor and mentor.Sipping small sips of coffee from a paper cup, dressed in a dark short-sleeved shirt and black trousers that he frequently pulls up – he forgot to tuck in his waistband– he speaks nervously and effusively about his time in Syracuse, Chekhov’s stories, his admiration for Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver, and his image of what it means to be a writer. ‘I was young and thought that a writer had to be tough, drunk, uncompromising, and Toby (ed. Tobias Wolff) was none of those things. He was tough but kind, and I’d just watch him with his family, how he’d come and give a wonderful lesson, how he’d write his beautiful stories, and there was something liberating about it all. ‘You could be yourself; you just had to have an original idea,’ he tells us. Mr Saunders now teaches budding American writers on the creative writing programme at Syracuse University. Every year, there are around 650 applications for just six places, and we ask him about the tradition of American writers in the short form of the short story. In the America of ‘pragmatists’, he tells us, there is a tradition opposed to intellectuals that makes young writers feel uncomfortable with the grand themes of literature, a factor, he points out, that has favoured the development of the short story. ‘They feel more at ease with Hemingway’s approach: crafting something small and beautiful and letting the truth spring from within. The other reason is financial. Creative writing programmes are a great opportunity for young writers to enjoy a few years of freedom and favour short stories; they work best in the short form,” he emphasises.George Saunders is considered one of the greatest contemporary American short story writers, yet he shuns the ‘big issues’ that preoccupy other writers and remains ‘silent’ when his colleagues speak of ‘ideas’. ‘Writers like Roth come in through the front door and change the house. I come in through the basement window and thresh the grain in there. I’m like a thief, I look at the house and think about which window I can sneak through. I think I can contribute something regarding class issues. I’ve written about it and I’ll write about it again. I come from a middle-class family; in my twenties I lived at a lower level and I think I understand quite a lot about this subject, which is important and has been neglected. But when I see writers like Roth, Wallace, Flannery O’Connor, I think they’re simply brilliant. ‘I’m playing at a lower level, but I do it with passion and perhaps I can offer something,’ he tells us. His public silence, however, vanishes when he enters the writing process, where he poses questions without knowing the answers in advance. Thus, ‘Lethis and Lincoln’ touches on issues at the heart of America, such as slavery and racism, by placing in the narrative black people who have died, buried in an isolated mass grave. ‘I didn’t want to deal with slavery at first; I found it difficult for me. But then I thought, we’re in the Civil War, there’s Lincoln, we need some Black voices. Then it becomes automatic: where are they, why aren’t they allowed to be with the others, why is there a boundary? Suddenly you have all their stories. If you start this process and decide to be honest, the world will flood into your book whether you want it to or not,” he emphasises. “‘The ideas of humanity and kindness do not exist.’ Abraham Lincoln is something of a Jesus figure in American political history, and beyond. He is a figure recognised throughout the world, who steered the Union’s fortunes during the American Civil War, abolished slavery, modernised the economy, and whose face still appears on posters, T-shirts and American banknotes. The death of little Willie, the family’s third child, from typhoid fever, left a deep mark on Lincoln, who visited the child’s grave alone after the funeral.The idea of writing about the tragic event had been on George Saunders’ mind for 20 years. ‘There is a moment of truth when you realise that you are resisting something because it is difficult. If you do that, it means the end of your career. I trusted the feeling of terror I was experiencing, the one you feel when you see a beautiful person and are afraid to speak to them,” he tells us.The book’s publication coincided with Donald Trump’s election, and whilst he himself feared the book would be judged as ultra-patriotic (he firmly believed in Hillary Clinton’s election), people saw Lincoln and America in a different light. “It was as if they were saying, ‘Look at this wonderful thing we had, we took it for granted and now it’s changing’.”Historical sources coexist with ghosts, which give the book its distinctive flavour, its poignancy and its humour. The author likes them because they remind us that the world seems complete ‘because our senses are limited’.Loss and the process of mourning run through Mr Saunders’s book, and when asked whether addressing the subject through the novel helped him come to terms with the idea of mortality, the answer comes effortlessly: ‘Only because it didn’t happen to me!’ Neurotic and nervous Years ago, during a routine flight, one of the engines on the aircraft Mr Saunders was travelling in failed and cut out mid-air. “All I remember is saying ‘no, no, no, no’, as if I wanted to go back in time and have people say no, that’s not how it works,” he notes. He hasn’t come to terms with many things in general; he remains neurotic and nervous, he says, whilst as he grows older he realises that if he makes it to the end without major losses, in good health and with some sense of fulfilment, “it’s pure luck, it’s not something you earn”.The ‘corrosive idea’ of American capitalism, he emphasises, boils down to the simplistic notion that if you have a nice car, you’ve earned it; if you don’t, then it’s your own problem. “There is no compassion in this logic; the sense that anything can happen to anyone. This also applies to American politics: if you are unlucky, there is a sense that the responsibility lies solely with you,” he notes.Raised on the teachings of the Catholic Church at a time when the idea of the spiritual person came first, he now sees the world turning away from spirituality. “Throughout my life, I have seen materialism triumph over spirituality,” notes Mr Saunders, who has turned to the teachings of Buddhism. Blind faith in the slogan “America First” is terrifying, he points out. “The ideas they ought to be following—humanism, kindness, spirituality—are nowhere to be found. I don’t just mean Trump; the whole government is like that. This does not suggest a serious culture,” he concludes.

Read the fascinating interview given by Athanasios Alexandridis to clinical psychologist Magdalini Georgiakou for PsychologyNow.gr, on the occasion of his new book *Children’s Fears*, the second in his series ‘School for Anxious Parents’. MG: Your new book is titled ‘Children’s Fears’. How did ‘Children’s Fears’ come about after ‘Children’s Loves’? AA: A year after the publication of ‘Children’s Loves’ comes the companion volume, ‘Children’s Fears’. If one considers that Love—the life force according to psychoanalysts, or Friendship according to the ancient Greek philosophers—unites the things of this world, it was necessary, after Love, to examine the action of aggression, which aims to unite them by force or to separate and destroy them when they resist. When, in the mixture of Love and hostility, Neikos according to the ancient Greeks, the latter prevails, then all the phenomena of fear are created, from terror and panic to fear itself or anxiety. MG: When we talk about ‘childhood fears’, what are we referring to? What ages do they correspond to? AA: The book attempts an extensive description of children’s fears, but also of parents’ fears regarding their children’s development. It follows the developmental trajectory and so, after an introduction to the concept of fear, it examines chronic and situational fears, bullying within and outside the family, the fear of loss and death, existential fear, separation anxiety, fear of camp, addiction to digital media, and the fear of difference, politicisation and terrorism.In a way, we could say that the narrative begins with the fears of the very young child—those we psychoanalytically refer to as primal anxieties—which concern the question of existence in the world ‘in life or in death’ —which we experience very early on, though it will take many years before we understand it—and moves on to the fears associated with having discovered the other person as someone I need or desire, and so I fear being abandoned by them, their anger, their rejection, the withdrawal of their love from me.The book examines the involvement of parents in these fears, which are quite complex because they often recall or even reproduce their own childhood or long-standing fears. Throughout the book, a constant concern is the intrusion of the social sphere into the family, which, in the form of roles, rules or prejudices, is always present, compelling and, depending on the family’s ability to integrate it, either constructive or disruptive. MG: How do you think the times and society in which we live influence parents in their role and in managing their children’s fears? AA: This era of ongoing and global social crisis greatly influences parents in managing their children’s psychological issues. Professional and financial insecurity, along with the relative unreliability of institutions, have stirred up fears in most parents and adults, as well as the long-standing childhood and adolescent fears they carry within them.Consequently, they have less tolerance for difficulties, whether these stem from the environment or from their children. If we accept that most people wish to be good parents and often feel guilty at the thought that they are not meeting their children’s needs, their children’s fears serve as a strong signal that they have not sufficiently established themselves in their children’s psyche as capable of protecting them. This is also consistent with the anxiety caused by unpredictable social instability. MG: When should parents be concerned about their children’s fears? AA: Whenever they become concerned! What I’m saying may sound funny, but it isn’t. The fact that they are worried is a clear sign that something is happening which the child, the parents themselves and the family system cannot organise or, in psychoanalytic terms, metabolise. Of course, with your question, you are asking to find out what symptoms might indirectly manifest children’s fears, apart from their direct and explicit expression.Because they can manifest indirectly through all manner of symptoms at the level of physical dysfunction, behavioural disturbance and psychological distress – and because I do not wish for parents to ‘play at being psychologists’– that is why I have set the psychodynamic criterion of parental concern as sufficient grounds for seeking a specialist’s opinion. Sometimes just a few appointments are enough to resolve a problem. At other times, fear can be an early symptom that allows for timely diagnosis and the start of monitoring or treatment. MG: What about parents’ fears? To what extent can these fears affect their children’s lives? AA: Unfortunately, there are fears held by parents, or even the parents of the parents, which can be passed on to the child. These are what we call ‘intergenerational traumas’. Unfortunately, we do not have the space here to explore such a serious topic in depth. However, a child’s fear may bring such a trauma to the surface and lead the ‘bearer’ of the trauma, e.g. the father or mother, to seek therapy. In closing this answer, however, I would like to emphasise my belief in children’s creativity and the fact that, often, with just a little help, they can achieve a great deal. MG: In the twelve chapters of the book, you provide a detailed account of various forms of childhood fears, such as timeless fears (fear of death, illness, abandonment) and contemporary fears such as the fear of dependence on electronics, fear of school bullying, etc. How, if at all, are these two categories of fears connected? AA: Your question already implies the answer! It naturally stems from the common psychoanalytic foundation of our thinking. To put it simply for readers: timeless fears form the psychological substrate. On top of these, the specific fears of each era manifest themselves, such as so-called school bullying, but also the fear of social stigma and exclusion. I believe that the fundamental work regarding these timeless fears must be carried out by the family and the school, with the main focus being on recognising the child, from a very young age, as a trustworthy partner in making and keeping agreements!MG: Won’t children feel that such an approach places an excessive burden on them? AA: No, not if the contracts and their requirements are appropriate to their age. On the contrary, they feel more self-confidence when an adult regards them as trustworthy individuals. And there is no greater shield against fears than feeling self-confidence. Look at folk tales: usually, the protagonist starts out as a small child who finds themselves in a difficult situation and is afraid. But when an adult, for example a genie, shows them trust, or a group of companions appoints them as leader, then that trust enables them to overcome their fears and put their mind—or rather, the psychomental programme of their development—into action.MG: Have we made the news? Am I to assume you’re working on a book about fairy tales? AA: I’m not afraid to admit it! But I do have some fear about whether I’ll manage it. MG: After all the books you’ve published, can you still have such fears? AA: As I say in my book, fear, if it is excessive, becomes disruptive; if it is manageable, it proves useful and motivating because it spurs our diligence and ingenuity. MG: I’d like to conclude with the issue of violence and terrorism, which are very much present in our times and are discussed at length in your book. The fear of terrorist attacks or violent clashes often drives parents to restrict their children. To what extent should this fear determine parents’ decisions regarding their children’s present and future? AA: If I had to summarise it in two sentences, I would say: a) restriction is not the solution; b) the solution lies in developing children’s political thinking and fostering a sense that they are citizens in the making from a very young age. The main areas for developing this fundamental quality are the family and school. The third volume of the series, which will focus on School and Society, will be devoted to these topics.

Silouani, the most subversive young adult holiday book, by Thodoris Papaioannou and illustrated by Daniela Stamatia, was honoured on Tuesday 12 June in the packed auditorium of the Benaki Museum with the ‘Children’s Literature Book Award’ from the 2018 Anagnostis Literary Awards.The judging panel of the Anagnostis Awards singled out Silouani, a book that has received rave reviews from critics and has been much loved by young readers. Thodoris Papaioannou states:Silouani is my first novel for children and teenagers. It all began with a letter given to me by my pupil Silouani on her last day at primary school. ‘This, sir, is for you,’ she said, looking me straight in the eye. I don’t know how many times I read it. And then I began wandering around the mountains near Edessa and Panagitsa, searching for answers to those wonderful questions children ask whenever they put their thoughts down on paper. And so the story of Silouani and the ‘children of the mountain’ was born; they may be imaginary heroes, but they live in places that are entirely real.We would like to thank Theodoros Papaioannou very much for his trust, and also Daniela Stamatia for her wonderful illustrations, which blend seamlessly with the text. Silouani is a book that enchants with the simplicity and pedagogical clarity with which it approaches nature, the relationships between children, children and adults, play, the conflicts that are themselves transformed into play, and their collaboration with the English scientist studying a young bear in the mountains. Nature is friendly when you live with it lightly. Even the fears of the city-dwelling mother fade away gently… In short, everything comes naturally. Without didactic grandstanding. Mariza Decastro, The ReaderThodoris Papaioannou’s first book for older children is a fantastic journey through nature and the mountains of Edessa, inspired by a letter given to him at the end of a school year by one of his pupils, Silouani. A dreamlike read, an introduction to nature and the unfamiliar. Red Fox  Silouani is a wonderful story that speaks to children about the magic of nature, its benefits, and how beneficial our connection with it is. For nature, if you allow yourself to listen to it with your whole being, it will repay you by revealing the most intoxicating scents, the most fairy-tale-like images and the most evocative sounds.A delightful, lyrical novel with beautiful black-and-white sketches that bring scenes from children’s everyday lives to life.Dora Andreadaki, parents24.gr Find out more about Thodoris Papaioannou here: https://ikarosbooks.gr/authors/papaioannoy-thodoris

The judging panels of the literary magazine ‘O Anagnostis’ announced today, 10 May, the shortlisted books for the magazine’s Literary Awards, the ceremony for which will take place on Tuesday 12 June at 8.00 pm at the Benaki Museum (138 Piraeus Street).We were delighted to see four books published by Ikaros included among the nominees in four of the eleven award categories: Gra-Grou, by T. Zafeiradis, G. Palavou, Th. Petrou – Category: Novel; Esena, by Giorgos K. Psaltis – Category: Poetry; Silouani, by Thodoris Papaioannou, illustrated by Daniela Stamatia – Category: Children’s LiteratureSilas’s Box, by Alkistis Chalikia, illustrated by Daniela Stamatia – Category: Children’s book with illustrations Find out more about the Anagnostis Awards, as well as the comprehensive list of nominated books and authors, here.