The book “From Sun and Ashes” by Dimitris Vlachopanos will be presented on Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the event hall of the Kalambaka Library (9 Rhodes Street). The event is organized by the Kalambaka Library in collaboration with the Kalambaka Cultural Association “The Meteora” and the publishing house 24 Grammata.
The presentation will be introduced and moderated by Kiki Koutsogianni, Treasurer of the Kalambaka Cultural Association “The Meteora,” who will engage in a discussion with the author on topics related to the book.
Pepi Katsiamani, Director of the Kalambaka Library, will deliver the opening remarks.
A short video will be screened, referencing the “Bloody Wedding of Alexandra” (August 16, 1943).
The book “From Sun and Ashes” is an anti-war novel centered on the post-war world of the Cold War and the impact left by the massacres and holocausts in Greece during the triple fascist occupation (1941–1944). A central theme is the sense of personal responsibility and human solidarity, both in times of peace and, even more so, in times of war.
A significant portion of the book focuses on the massacres and holocausts in Epirus during 1943–1944, when the German Edelweiss First Division was stationed in Ioannina and turned the entire region into a bloodbath. One of the largest war crimes was the holocaust of Kommeno at dawn on Monday, August 16, 1943, which resulted in 317 victims, including 36 infants and toddlers under five years old.
It is worth noting that units of the Edelweiss First Division conducted clearing operations in the Kalambaka area during the autumn and winter of 1943. The German objective was to control the provincial road connecting Ioannina and Kalambaka. Part of these operations, involving the SS, included the burning of Kalambaka at dawn on October 18, 1943.
Written during the pandemic, the book oscillates between history and fiction. Part of it is historical, and another part is imaginary. It is challenging to separate the two or to draw a definitive line where history ends and imagination begins. Some of the protagonists are real people, while others are products of the author’s imagination. The enduring and indelible value of human solidarity is a fundamental theme throughout the book.
