RARE 1946 GREEK FIRST EDITION — SIGNED BY NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS — WITH ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATED COVERS AND DISTINGUISHED GREEK PROVENANCE
An exceptional collectible from the history of modern Greek literature: the original 1946 first edition of Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά (Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas), the celebrated novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, published in Athens by the Dimitrakos Publishing House.
This landmark work introduced Alexis Zorbas to readers in its original Greek edition, preceding its subsequent international translations and the world-famous 1964 film Zorba the Greek.
This particular copy brings together literary significance, traditional bookbinding, preserved original cover art, and an intriguing connection to the cultural history of Tripoli, Arcadia.
HAND-SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR: Nikos Kazantzakis hand signed this print run to authenticate the edition.
«Κάθε γνήσιο αντίτυπο φέρει την υπογραφή του συγγραφέα.»
“Every genuine copy bears the author’s signature.”
ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATED COVERS PRESERVED
The original illustrated paper covers have been retained and bound inside the volume, preserving the distinctive artwork depicting Alexis Zorbas.
The book has been rebound in an elegant half-leather binding, with a warm reddish-brown leather spine, raised bands, and textured brown cloth boards. This traditional binding gives the volume a handsome, substantial presence while retaining the original cover material as part of its history.
PROVENANCE: THE LIBRARY OF MIMIS ANAGNOSTOU
This copy comes from the private library of Mimis Anagnostou (1929–2022), remembered for his connection to the traditional cinema culture of Tripoli, Arcadia, Greece.
Anagnostou operated the historic Avra cinema beginning in 1947 and was associated with the preservation of local cultural and epigraphic heritage.
Three personal ownership stamps appear in the book. These marks connect the volume to its former owner and add a compelling dimension to its history, bringing together Greek literature, cinema, and the cultural life of post-war provincial Greece.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Author: Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957)
Original Greek title: Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά
English title: Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas; internationally known as Zorba the Greek
Publication year: 1946
Edition: First Greek edition, as indicated by the publication details
Publisher: Dimitrakos Publishing House, Athens
Language: Greek, in polytonic script
Extent: 353 pages, reported complete
Binding: Half-leather spine with raised bands and textured cloth boards
Original material: Illustrated paper covers preserved inside
Signature: Hand signed by the author on the authenticity page
Provenance: Formerly in the private library of Mimis Anagnostou
Dimensions: 22.5 cm x 15 cm
CONDITION
Good vintage condition. Please consult the photographs for the exact condition of the binding, title page, signature page, original covers, and ownership marks.
A SIGNIFICANT COLLECTOR’S BOOK
This volume will appeal to collectors of:
First editions of modern Greek literature
Nikos Kazantzakis and Zorba the Greek
Signed books and literary manuscripts
Greek cultural and publishing history
Fine and antiquarian bookbinding
Historical cinema and Tripoli, Arcadia memorabilia
Rare books with documented personal provenance
More than a vintage novel, this is a material piece of Greek literary history, carrying traces of its publication in 1946 and a later life in a private library connected to Greece’s traditional cinema culture.
A remarkable addition to a serious collection of Greek literature, rare books, or twentieth-century cultural history.
