The life of the Greek-Romanian writer Panait Istrati does not resemble a novel, it is a novel in itself. Childhood suffering, the struggle for survival, travels and wanderings, strong friendships and successive loves, the anguish for the Free Man, Istrati recounts all of this in his books authentically and with the grace of an Oriental storyteller. He experienced the world-historical events of his time (end of the Ottoman Empire, World War I), embraced the vision of a more just world (October Revolution), met with the most important personalities of his time (Romain Rolland, Maxim Gorky, Vladimir Mayakovsky, George Orwell), but more than anything else, he stood on the side of the poor and the wronged. This was also the reason why his friend Nikos Kazantzakis, on one of their joint trips to Soviet Russia, told him a great truth: “Panait, your heart far surpasses your mind.”. Yes. Only Panait Istrati was to pay a very high price for this…

Panait Istrati (1884-1935), currently published in France by Éditions Phébus, Libretto, was called “Gorki of the Balkans”. His death in April 16, 1935, was covered on the filrst page of “Le Monde”.

METAIXMIO, 2025, 344 p.