As soon as she read my book she said: ‘That’s how we lived, that’s how those we met and loved were.’ And I asked her: ‘Now that you recalled our story, would you have preferred to have lived another life?’ ‘Absolutely not!’ she replied spontaneously. Fortunately enough, there is my sister, whose memory is infallible and her life is entangled with mine. But when the persons are real, you are not allowed to make the smallest mistake, especially when there is no longer anybody there to agree with or contradict you. In a novel, you can say whatever you imagine, you can move your heroes as you like, you can make them say whatever you think. Zei writes, “I needed a good memory and much love in order to write the story of my life. Famous Greek personalities from the world of arts and literature also appear in the book. With a Faber Number Two Pencil is a semi-autobiographical novel recounting Zei’s life from 1925-1945. Told through the eyes of a young girl named Melia, who relates the experiences of her family as they are forced to accept life under a repressive government, the book provides an interesting look at a crucial period of Greek history from a child’s perspective. Wildcat Under Glass is set on an island in Greece during the 1930’s as the nation is forced into a fascist dictatorship. In honor of her contributions to world literature, add the following books to your reading list. She also translated many books from French, Italian, and Russian into Greek. Batchelder Award was bestowed on Zei’s books in English translation, Wildcat Under Glass (1970), Petros’ War (1974), and The Sound of the Dragon’s Feet (1980). She became an ambassador for modern Greek literature abroad and almost all her work has been translated and published in countries around the world.

Her first children’s novel, The Tiger in the Shop Window (also known as Wildcat Under Glass) is considered a classic work of world children’s literature with continual reprints since it was first published in 1963. Her last public appearance was in December 2019 at the Athens Concert Hall for the launch of her latest book, A Child from Nowhere. She lived in Paris until the mid-70s, returning to Greece after the dictatorship fell.

She became involved in the leftist movement in Greece during the German occupation in World War II and then went into exile in Russia with her husband between 19, returning to Greece only to leave again at the start of the military junta in Greece in 1967. Zei then went on to study film in Moscow. She studied at the Athens University School of Philosophy and the Athens Conservatory Drama School.

Born in 1923, Zei spent her early years on Samos before the family moved to the Athens suburb of Maroussi and then to Athens. Beloved Greek novelist and children’s book author Alki Zei passed away on February 27, at the age of 97.

Petros' War by Alki Zei