Seferis, George

George Seferis
natal chart (Placidus)
natal chart English style (Equal houses)

George Seferis

Name	Seferis, George Gender: M
Birthname	Georgios Seferiades
born on	13 March 1900 at 01:30 (= 01:30 AM )
Place	Smyrna, Turkey, 38n25, 27e09
Timezone	LMT m27e15 (is standard time)
Data source	Bio/autobiography Rodden Rating B Collector: Scholfield
Astrology data	21°58' 15°27 Asc. 23°13'

add George Seferis to 'my astro'

Biography

Greek poet, essayist and diplomat who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1963.

Seferis's father was a lawyer and his mother descended from wealthy landowners. He grew up advantaged and wrote poetry from age 14 on. In 1914, his family moved from Smyrna to Athens. Four years later, in 1918, when his family moved to Paris, Seferis entered the University of Paris to study law. There he became interested in literature and wrote more poetry. Mourning the loss of his native Smyrna to the Turks in 1920, he continued his legal studies, finishing his doctoral degree in 1924.. He returned to Athens in 1925, and, the following year, he was admitted to the Royal Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His diplomatic career included posts in England (from 1931-34) and Albania (from 1936-38). During WWII, he was in exile with the Greek government, returning to Athens in 1944. He then held diplomatic posts in Turkey (1948-50) and London (1951-53). From 1953-56, he served as minister to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq. From 1957-1961, he was the Royal Greek Ambassador to the UK.

His poetry reflects his travels and, like the Odyssey, includes themes of wandering, alienation and death. His earliest collection of poetry was published in 1931, and he became representative of the symbolist poets of the time.. Seferis wrote a book of essays in 1962 and translated works into his native Greek by T. S. Eliot and by other English, American and French poets.

In 1941 Seferis married Maria Zannou, whom he had met on vacation in 1936

Seferis died on September 20, 1971 in Athens, age 71. His widow died in 2000, at age 102 .

Link to Wikipedia biography

Events

• Work : Published/ Exhibited/ Released 1931 (First collection of poetry)

• Work : Prize 1963 (Nobel prize for literature)

• Family : Change residence 1914 (moved from Smyrna to Athens)

• Family : Change residence 1918 (moved to Paris)

• Relationship : Marriage 1941 (Maria)

• Family : Change in family responsibilities 1925 (moved from Paris to Athens)

• Work : New Career 1925 (in foreign service)

• Work : Published/ Exhibited/ Released 1962 (book of essays)

Source Notes

Sy Scholfield cites bio by Roderick Beaton: "George Seferis, Waiting for the Angel: A Biography" (Yale UP, 2003, p. 10 which quotes family records. Sy writes, "Beaton states that according to the records, Seferis was born at this time on 29 February. The year 1900 was a leap year in this part of Asia Minor which was still on the Julian Calendar. Seferis was therefore born on the 13th March in the Gregorian Calendar."

Categories

• Vocation : Politics : Diplomat

• Vocation : Writers : Poet

• Notable : Awards : Nobel prize

• Notable : Extraordinary Talents : For Languages (translated English, French and American poetry into Greek)

• Traits : Mind : Education extensive (doctoral degree)

• Family : Childhood : Advantaged

• Family : Relationship : Marriage more than 15 Yrs (30 years, until his death)

• Lifestyle : Work : Many job changes

• Lifestyle : Work : Travel for work

• Vocation : Writers : Translator

• Vocation : Writers : Textbook/ Non-fiction