Hristos Hristovasilis (Χρήστος Χρηστοβασίλης)

hristovasilis-hristos

Christos Christovasilis (Greek: Χρήστος Χρηστοβασίλης; c. 12 March 1861 – 26 August 1937) was a Greek journalist and author, representative of Greek pastoral literature. He was a collector of rural and folk material and one of the most important figures in the literature of Epirus in late 19th-early 20th century.
Christovasilis was born in the village of Soulopoulo, Zitsa, Epirus, then in the Ottoman Empire. As a teenager he ran away from school in order to join the Epirus revolt of 1878, and participated in the guerilla operations near Sarandë. As a result, he was twice arrested by the Ottoman authorities and sentenced to death, but he managed to escape. In 1885 he moved to Athens, where he studied, compiled and published several works on Greek history. In December 1889 he won the literary competition of the Athenian newspaper Acropolis, with his countryside tale Pastoral new year. He subsequently decided to devote himself to journalism and literature. When the Balkan Wars (1912–1913) ended and most of Epirus became part of Greece, he moved to Ioannina and published a newspaper named Ελευθερία ("Freedom"). In 1924, he became a member of the administrative committee of the Educational Club (Εκπαιδευτικός Όμιλος) of Ioannina. together with other prominent figures of Epirus, such as Georgios Hatzis. Additionally, in 1936 he published the cultural magazine Epirote Leaves. Christovasilis was twice elected as a member of the Greek Parliament.