Signed, Yannis Ritsos - Διάδρομος και Σκάλα / Corridor and Staircase - First Edition - Kedros - 1973

Highly collectible signed and dedicated first edition of Διάδρομος και Σκάλα (Corridor and Staircase) by Yannis Ritsos, one of the most important poets of modern Greek literature.

Published in Athens in 1973 by Kedros during the final period of the Greek military junta (1967–1974), this edition is especially desirable as it features:

Handwritten signature and dedication by the poet

Original softcover designed by Ritsos himself

A full-page drawing by the poet included in the book

Signed first editions of Ritsos from the dictatorship period are increasingly scarce and sought after.


Bibliographic Details

Author: Yannis Ritsos (1909–1990)

Title: Διάδρομος και Σκάλα

English Title: Corridor and Staircase

Publisher: Kedros, Athens

Year: 1973

Edition: First Edition

Pages: 110

Dimensions: 17 cm × 12.5 cm

Language: Greek

Binding: Original softcover

Signature: Hand-signed and dedicated by the author

About the Work

In Corridor and Staircase (1973), Ritsos constructs a world of “day and night nightmare” — deformed, claustrophobic, and expressionistic. The collection evokes a landscape of desolation reminiscent of Karyotakis’ Preveza, while fragmented statues and severed forms symbolize both the ruins of antiquity and the fractured memory of childhood.

The poetic voice exists under constant observation, confronted by invisible mechanisms of authoritarian control — a powerful metaphor shaped by the political realities of the time. The volume stands as one of the darker and more introspective works of his later period.


About the Author

Yannis Ritsos (1909–1990) was a towering figure of 20th-century Greek poetry. Born in Monemvasia, he endured personal tragedy, political persecution, imprisonment, and exile. His poem Epitaphios (1936) was publicly burned under the dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas, marking the beginning of decades of censorship and repression.

Despite these hardships, he published more than 100 poetry collections, including Romiosyni and The Moonlight Sonata. In 1975, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize and was repeatedly nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Signed and dedicated copies of his works are highly collectible, especially first editions from the junta era.


Condition

Very good vintage condition with light age-related wear.
Binding sound and complete.

Please refer carefully to the photographs for a detailed condition assessment.


Collectability

First edition (1973)

Signed and dedicated copy

Cover design and drawing by the poet

Published during the military dictatorship

Strong appeal for collectors of signed poetry and modern Greek literature

A rare and culturally significant signed literary work.