About the Author
The author of Σκόρπια Ζωή (A Scattered Life), Sofia Pappanikolaou, hails from Alexandroupoli, Greece. Her academic journey led her to the fields of Accounting and Economics. At a young age, she embarked on a life-changing journey across the Atlantic to America, where she launched into a partnership with the late engineer-inventor-writer-director, George Pappanikolaou. Together, they dedicated years to innovative projects and patents, ultimately establishing their home in Brooklyn, New York. Amidst the challenges of being far from her homeland, Sofia discovered solace and inspiration in the world of writing, shaping her into the gifted storyteller she is today.
About The Editor Vassiliki Rapti
Ph.D.
Editor of this remarkable work, Vassiliki Rapti, born and raised in Greece, holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature with an emphasis in drama, an MA in English, an MA in Greek Studies, an MA in Civic Media and Arts, a Certificate in Curatorial Studies and a Certificate in Proofreading.
Dr. Rapti boasts an impressive array of academic publications covering topics such as Surrealism, ludic theory, and the Hellenic Diaspora. Her expertise extends beyond the written word. Dr. Rapti is co-founder of the Modern Greek Special Interest Group (SIG) of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and Vice-President of the American Association of Teachers of Modern Greek (AATMG). Her dedication to education led her to teach Modern Greek at Harvard University, where she co-founded and co-chaired the Ludics Seminar at the Mahindra Humanities Center.
With more than 15+years of experience in teaching excellence in higher education in three languages (Greek, French and English), as well as in creative writing, publishing, editing, literary translation, mentoring and academic administration, she is a firm believer in the interplay of arts, sciences, media, and technology and is passionate about making and keeping humanities relevant in today’s world though socially engaged collaborative projects.
Dr. Rapti holds the esteemed position of Founding Director of the Cambridge-based non-profit organization Citizen TALES* Commons. Here she brings together a diverse transnational community of interdisciplinary scholars, artists and aspiring young leaders who care about equitable futures and work together to thrive in their research and creative projects, positively impacting their communities. Her multifaceted contributions make her an invaluable figure of international caliber in the realm of literature, education, intercultural exploration and diasporic studies.
In addition to the above, she is passionate about poetry and literary translation and leads poetry translation workshops that bring Greek poetry to the international public. She recently launched the podcast series Borders Unbound: Hellenic Poetry of the Diaspora and Beyond, which she co-hosts with colleague Peter Bottéas. The series is the recipient of an innovation grant from the Modern Greek Studies Association (MGSA).
TALES*: Translators – Artists – Ludics Learners – Explorers – Storytellers.
About the Co-narrator, Peter Bottéas
Originally from Toronto, Canada, voice-over artist Peter Bottéas holds a Master’s degree in Translation from the Université de Montréal and worked for many years as a translator, revisor, editor, and educator in French Canada. After a twenty-year detour as a psychotherapist in Boston, he recently returned to one of his first loves, literary translation, and is currently the primary translator of Greek Boston-based poet Vassiliki Rapti. His translation of Rapti’s most recent collection of poetry, Bathed in Moonlight, was published by Čevená Barva Press in January 2023.
The author and translator have done several poetry readings together in New York and Boston, as well as in on-line forums. He is a founding member of the multidisciplinary creative collaborative Citizen TALES Commons and, along with Vassiliki Rapti, is co-host of the podcast series Borders Unbound: Hellenic Poetry of the Diaspora and Beyond. He is an occasional poet and an aficionado of French and Greek poetry set to music.
