Iakovos Kambanelis

Who was Iakovos Kambanelis?

Iakovos Kambanelis was a Greek poet, playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and novelist. Born 2 December 1922 in Hora in the island of Naxos, Kambanelis appears as one of the most prominent Greek artists of the 20th century. As a survivor of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp, he authored a Mauthausen cantata with music by Mikis Theodorakis. He has also written a book known as Mauthausen describing his experiences from the concentration camp. He authored at least 12 films and he directed two of them. In addition, he was known as a verse writer and for his membership at the board of the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece, along with some of the most prominent Greek artists. Iakovos Kambanelis was rushed at hospital on February 4, 2011 due to complications of his long-term kidney failure.