Creative Writing, on the History and Writing of Pontic Literature at the University of Western Macedonia

A Creative Writing Department for the History and Writing of Pontic Literature at the University of Western Macedonia is being created in the Graduate Studies Program (MSC), as announced by the Rector of the University, Theodoros Theodoulidis, at a special honorary event held in Thessaloniki, in honor of the university professor and poet Triantafyllou H. Kotopoulos.

The Rector of the University of Western Macedonia Theodoros Theodoulidis, a descendant of Pontic Greek refugees from Ptolemaida, during the event that took place on the afternoon of Monday, April 8, 2024, in the Theater of the Lazarist Monastery, in the Sokratis Karantinos Stage, organized by Merimna Pontion Kyrio , while the event is under the auspices of the Region of Central Macedonia, the University of Western Macedonia and the Tourism Organization, he emphasized that this decision comes as a continuation of the Foundation’s efforts to highlight the Pontic issue, let’s not forget that our University was a pioneer as the issue of genocide was highlighted mainly through the work of Kostas Fotiadis, now professor emeritus of our Foundation.

It is characteristic that the Master’s Degree in Creative Writing in the modern Greek language was started by the late Mimis Souliotis. Since 2012, it has been taken over by Triantafyllos Kotopoulos as director of the postgraduate program and scientifically responsible. Triantafyllos Kotopoulos has organized five international Creative Writing conferences and next September 2024, the sixth one will take place in Kozani.

Triantafyllos Kotopoulos proposed and is in charge of the new English-language Creative Writing undergraduate program at the University of Western Macedonia. Also, Triantafyllos Kotopoulos was inspired by the already existing master’s program in creative writing, the fourth direction which concerns the History and Writing of Pontic Literature.

As soon as the fourth direction of the postgraduate program for the History and Writing of Pontic Literature was announced, the artist Theodoros Kotidis played the lyre.

The event

Sofia Iakovidou, Panagiotis Kountouras and Kleoniki Drugma edited and presented the event honoring the university professor and poet Triantafyllos H. Kotopoulos, with the general title “Why the people of Arhontia smell from afar”.

For the university professor and poet Triantafyllos H. Kotopoulos, the following spoke: Lina Nikolakopoulou, Dionysis Tsaknis, Kostas Charalambous, Gina Kalogirou, Vassilis Sambatakis, Antonis Skiathas, Anastasia Aleuriadou, Nikos Fotopoulos, Meni Kanatsoulis, Anna Vakali, Alexandros Myroforidis, Georgia Velivasaki, Colleagues and friends.

Greeted by Voula Patoulidou, Theodoros Theodoulidis and Anatoli Dimitriadou.

Musicians – Song: Evi Koutsautakis, Sokratis Papaioannou, Dimitris Naskos. Directed by: Panagiotis Kountouras. Organisation: Care of Pontia Ladies.

Theodoros Theodoulidis

In his speech, the Rector of the University of Western Macedonia, Theodoros Theodoulidis, said.

I knew about Triantafyllos from a long time ago, but I got to know him in the last 4 years as through the administration I had the opportunity to map the special abilities and potential of the professors of our University.

A first observation: he is a leader among the 220 professors of the Foundation in matters of extroversion, giving us tons of it with his cultural actions, festivals, existing master’s degree in Creative Writing. For which Creative Writing has contributed the most to be recognized as a distinct subject.

He is a personality who adorns the Foundation, unique, passionate, alternative, with angles, who both abandons and attracts audiences.

It helps the Foundation to pioneer, to innovate, it helps the Brand name we are trying to build as our strategic goal is not only our contribution (due to area and energy transition) to green and sustainable development but also to Culture. After all, what we call in Western Macedonia a Just Developmental Transition has long since lost its energetic character and is finally an occasion and an opportunity for a general change in our lives and in how we think about those around us and our future.

I want to thank and praise the initiative of Merimna Pontion Kyrion, for today’s honorary event. The Care of Pontian Ladies, which is the oldest living association with an uninterrupted presence, of the Greek Pontians. I thank you also because the honor to the Rose is also an honor to our University.

On the occasion of my greeting, I have three (3) announcements to make:

1. The Foreign Language Undergraduate Study Program entitled “Creative Writing, Arts and Humanities” recently went through a certification process. It is our Foundation’s 2nd CSI which invests in internationalization and extroversion. The Program is coordinated by who else, Triantafyllos and his team. Without commitment and commitment to the goal, CSPs are not made, and I want to thank you for that.

2. To the existing PMS for Creative Writing, whose director is again Triantafyllos Kotopoulos, a 4th direction for the History and Writing of Pontic Literature is added.

The program will briefly cover:

a. The study of the Literature of Pontian writers, first, second and third generation, with themes concerning the life and adventures of Pontians, in Pontus and Greece.

b. The production of works, written in the modern Greek language, that refer to Pontus and the Pontians and are an important contribution to the overall modern Greek literature.

And it will be offered entirely online so that interested parties from around the world can watch it.

The new direction of the PMS is also a continuation of the Foundation’s efforts in highlighting the Pontic issue, let’s not forget that our University was a pioneer as the issue of genocide was highlighted mainly through the work of Kostas Fotiadis, now an emeritus professor of our Foundation.

The new direction of the PMS is both a contribution of our University to Dialectology and an experiment, which we will follow. If it goes well it could be extended to other dialects.

Every time I refer to the Pontic dialect, I remember the nostalgia it emits and which Cavafy describes in the poem Parthen:

“But more than anything, I was touched by the song/

Trebizond with its strange language/

and with the sorrow of those distant Greeks/

that maybe they all believed that we would still be saved”.

Rose, I want to thank you again and wish you the best of luck in both of your study programs.

1. Triantafyllos Kotopoulos is appointed head of the Culture Committee of the University of Western Macedonia. The vision of our University includes, among other things, the substantial support of economic, social and cultural creation at the local and national level. So good luck, we expect a lot from you, and the University will be a helper and a companion in whatever initiative and action you lead us in the coming years.

Anatoli Dimitriados

At the end of the event, in her short speech, the President of the Pontian Women’s Care, Anatoli Dimitriadou, said that the multifaceted personality of the teacher poet Triantafyllos Kotopoulos meets the diverse presence of the Pontian Women’s Care (MPK), which is already in its 120th year of existence. starting from its creation in Trebizond, and its continuation from 1923 in Thessaloniki.

In particular, today the activities of Pontian Women’s Care (MPK) concern the operation of three structures. Of the “DIAMANTIDEOS STEGI” Foundation in Polichni, of the “ARGO” Nursery School in Kalamaria and of its Museum with the emblematic title “EMBROIDERING THE MEMORY”.

Today I believe that someone up there is looking at us and is very happy. I am referring to the neurosurgeon-poet Christos Antoniadis, who we all know about his love for the Pontic dialect…

Mr. Kotopoulos.

Long live the new direction, just like the Care of Pontian Ladies and know that we will always be by your side…