Eighteen established writers, one from each city/region, will be commissioned to write a chapter in a response to their Arts & Society theme within the context of their city.
Just as Ulysses is innovative in its form and language, so the writers will be chosen with a view to reflecting a breadth of genres, styles and innovations. Each writer will ideally attend their own city’s event. All the (new) chapters from the 18 cities/regions will be brought together in a book publication: ULYSSES European Odyssey.
Vangelis Gianissis will write the Eleusis chapter.
Writer’s Statement
I am a crime fiction writer. What does that mean? In a few words, I use crime — mostly a murder — as a means to examine how small or bigger acts of violence affect our society as a whole, but also us, as individuals. One might wonder, though, why crime? The answer is simple; crime is universal. Stories about crime can be found in every civilisation, at every given timeline and one might even wonder if this happens because violence is inherent in our species — one of the questions that troubles me and I also examine through my work. Are we inherently good or bad? Who wins in the fight of nature vs nurture? Is what is generally considered bad actually bad? Is what is generally considered not bad really not bad? I use so many questions in this statement, but that is because the same thing happens in my novels; I am not providing answers, even though I am looking for them. I am a writer who asks questions. Questions that aren’t limited only between the boarders of my country. Out of my nine books, six are set in Sweden, a country that I consider a second home, where I spent a few years of my life, one in Norway, and the other two in Greece. The most recent one is a tale about my hometown, Elefsina. This project gives me a chance to revisit this locale and narrate a story through the combined eyes of me and James Joyce.
Writer’s Biography
Vagelis Giannisis was born in 1988 in Eleusis, Greece. In 2011 he moved to Sweden, where he spent several years teaching at elementary schools and community colleges. Inspired by the country’s literary tradition, he started writing crime fiction stories. His first book, Hatred, was published in 2014. Since then, the popular series about the Örebro based Greek/Swedish DI Anders Economides has become a sensation in Greece. Five more books, The Castle, Dance of the dead, The shadow, Amarok and Incubus were published in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022 respectively by Dioptra Publications. His stand-alone book The Isdal Woman was published in 2019 and his true crime/creative non-fiction hybrid book The Department was published in 2021. His series with Anders Economides was presented in the Euronoir conference in Aalborg (a part of the EU’s DETECT project) as a fine example of transcultural identity in European crime narrative.
Vagelis is active on social media, interacting with thousands of Andersmaniacs, as his followers are being called, every day. He is currently working as a freelance translator and writes a weekly true crime column on Lifo.
‘Vagelis Giannisis is one of the sharpest young crime fiction writers I’ve stumbled upon during the past few years. His protagonist, Anders Economides, is a complex character, scarred by his life as a policeman and at the same time, a perfect incarnation of what it means to grow up between two cultures, the Swedish and the Greek.’ -Arne Dahl
‘Here’s a rarity. A hard-edged, violent police thiller written with intelligence and insight.’ -Anthony Horowitz
Awards and Nominations
Hatred
Best debut, Enastron/Klepsydra literary magazine (nominated)
Best novel, Public book awards (nominated)
Best original character, Public book awards (nominated)
The castle
Best novel, Public Book awards (nominated)
Best original character, Public Book awards (nominated)
Best novel, Athens Voice People’s Choice awards (nominated)
The dance of the dead
Best novel, Public Book awards (nominated)
Amarok
Best novel, Public Book awards (shortlisted)