About me

Voula Mastori, who is nominated for Andersen Award 2008, is a prolific writer with many bestsellers to her name. Since 1974 she has written 47 books for children and adults. Always outspoken irrespective of what age group she addresses, she was the first writer in Greece who dared write about sexual abuse in a book for young people. In High School, published by Patakis in 1991, provoked much debate at that time.

Mastori has written short stories, fairytales, novels, poetry and plays. Her language is provocatively simple and direct. All her books deal with birth and love, while death – its metaphysical dimension included – always looms. Her books focus on the social and political situation and sometimes contain autobiographical elements (The August Moon, In High School, One-One-Four, Under Her Heart, published by Patakis).

Mastori usually draws her subjects from the mass media and real life (A Teeny Hand Dipped in Syrup and The Snowman’s Taken Mum, pub. Patakis, The Land with Two Cities and Almond-eye Cradles, pub. Ellinika Grammata). Sometimes she combines literature and education (as in the 12-volume series Children's Wonders, pub. Ellinika Grammata, Where's the Moon Gone? pub. Patakis) or she simply unleashes her imagination and writes fairy tales (Moonstories, a series of 5 books, pub. Patakis, Tiny Little Helen, pub. Patakis).

Mastori is often invited to give lectures about her work to university students and kindergarten and primary teachers in Greece. Every year she visits schools all over the country where she uses her own methods to promote reading and creative writing. She has the honour of being the writer whose books are most frequently borrowed from libraries in northern Greece. She has been an active participant in the “Writers visit schools” programme of the National Book Centre of Greece. Extracts from her books have been included in textbooks used in Greek primary and secondary schools.

Translations

In Corean

1. Children’s wonders Series by Sesonkyoyuk Publishing Co., Ltd, 2002

ISBN: 89-87940-20-9

ISBN-13: 978-89-87940-20-5

Why is the sea salty?

Why doesn’t the sea overflow?

Why don’t we fall off the Earth?

Why don’t we get dizzy by the Earth’s rounds?

2.The Snowman’s Taken Mum Away by EunHaengNamu, 2009

ISBN: 978-89-5660-327-8

73890