Theodor Kallifatides: "A good newspaper doesn't lie, it doesn't pursue hidden agendas"

BarcelonaTheodor Kallifatides set aside his iconic pipe to take to the stage to receive the first Diari ARA International Prize, an award intended to recognize the contributions of individuals or institutions to global progress and coexistence. The prize was presented by the newspaper's director, Esther Vera, who stated that the writer "embodies the values of a pluralistic Europe, open to dialogue between cultures and complex identities, a Europe that in Kallifatides finds the essence of humanistic thought and the ethical legacy of Ancient Greece." For ARA, his testimony "radiates tolerance, a strong work ethic, integration into his adopted society, and at the same time, fidelity to his origins," which he has so aptly portrayed through "the human pulse of his stories."

With an affable gait and showcasing his multilingualism—he is of Greek origin, has written virtually all his work in Swedish, and speaks English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish: one couldn't have a more European DNA—the 87-year-old writer delivered a personal and committed speech in which he reviewed his relationship with the press. One of his earliest memories is of when the newspaper arrived by bus in his hometown late in the afternoon and was bought by the mayor and the lawyer, who would read it aloud to the parishioners. It was often news from the front.

Theodor Kallifatides was born in 1938 in Molaoi, in the heart of the Peloponnese. When the Second World War ended and the Civil War began, the Kallifatides family went to live in Athens, where the father, a teacher, bought a left-wing newspaper "with the lovely name of Matinada," which he read after dinner: "It was his moment of happiness and the only luxury he could afford." The young future writer also read the newspaper and imitated the columnists he admired. He probably already showed talent, because he managed to publish his first story in a children's newspaper, for which he received as his "only reward" a kiss from his girlfriend.

At 19, he started working at an Athens newspaper, whose editor came down to talk to the doorman every day: "He is public opinion," he explained. When he went into exile in Sweden at the age of 25, he remembers that the Dagens Nyheter It was his guide to adapting to the new society. He left behind a devastated country, which he described in the masterful trilogy that comprises Farmers and lords (1973), The plow and the sword (1975) and A cruel peace (1977). In his new country, he maintained his close ties with newspapers: he worked for the evening paper. Aftonbladet, in itThey express and finally, in theSwedish DailyFrom his editor, he received advice he has followed to the letter: "Never start an article with 'I.' People don't want to know what you think, but what's happening."

For Kallifatides, a newspaper "offers objective information." "Ideology should not influence the presentation of the facts," echoed in the Petit Palau, like a ten-point guide to journalism. And one could add: "A good newspaper doesn't lie, it doesn't pursue hidden agendas." And also: "Journalists must protect language, love it, cherish it." Or another: "The key words are TRUE and objectivity"This shouldn't be a writer's goal," he acknowledged, although his work contains high doses of both. In fact, in 2019 he returned to writing in Greek about Greece in order to explain the truthA writer of simple language and profound insight, Kallifatides is the author of more than forty books of fiction and essays, and his work has been translated into more than twenty languages, including Catalan and Spanish, published by Galaxia Gutenberg. He has just published the novel A woman to lovea book where he defends brotherly love and that He says it will be the last one"I've already said what I had to say."

However, he continues to give lectures and write articles, sharing a profound vision about Europe and his concern about extremism. He is also concerned about the quality of democracy, which has a clear symptom in the quality of journalism: "In recent years, a press dedicated to lies, violence, and egocentrism has emerged. We can only hope that there will also be solid newspapers, committed to the truth and to objective debate," he stated, before receiving thunderous applause.