Who is Konstantinos Kavafis?
Konstantinos Kavafis (also transliterated as Constantinos or Constantine Cavafy) was the most preeminent Greek poet of the twentieth century. His work has been widely translated, although most of his poetry was not formally published until after his death in 1933. Konstantinos Kavafis explored many uncomfortable themes in his work, which was considered extremely radical for its era. The poetry of Konstantinos Kavafis, even in translation, is haunting, lyrical, and compelling. Konstantinos Kavafis was born in Alexandria, Egypt to Greek parents in 1863. Although Kavafis was Greek by nationality, he spent very little of his life in Greece, living primarily in Egypt, although he spent time in Turkey and England as well. His father ran an importing and exporting business and lived and worked in England long enough to achieve dual citizenship. The family lived in Alexandria until 1870, when Konstantinos Kavfis’ father died and his mother took the family to Liverpool. After experiencing finan
