Evgenios Trivizas

Biography

Eugene Trivizas (Greek: Eυγένιος Τριβιζάς; born 1946) is a Greek sociologist and writer of children's books. For his lasting contribution as a children's writer, Trivizas was a finalist for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2006. Dr Trivizas has published many books on literature, and he is one of Greece's leading writers for children. He has produced more than a hundred books, all of them currently in print, and he has received more than twenty national and international literary prizes and awards. Much of Trivizas' work has been transferred to the stage and serialised for television as well as the radio. He is currently the most frequently performed writer of plays for children in Greece. In 1986 his play The Carecrow was placed on the International Board on Books for Young People's "Honour List", and awarded a Diploma for excellence in writing, His first book for children published in the English language was The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury and published by Heinemann in 1993. The Economist wrote about this book that "only the most talented of writers can tamper with a classic nursery tale and produce something almost as amusing and thought-provoking as the original." The Three Little Wolves reached the second place in the American best seller list for picture books, has won many distinctions (including ALA Notable Book and School Library Journal best book, and the "Parents' Choice Gold Award") and has been translated in fifteen languages. Two books by Trivizas ("The 33 pink rubies" and "The 88 small stuffed vine leaves") were collectively named "Parapolymythia" and said to be part of a series termed "Multiclone" advertised as "magic books containing 1000 hidden tales" and as "strange books that tell you another story each time you read them". These books are examples of ergodic literature following a format similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure series.