Gail Holst-Warhaft

Gail Holst-Warhaft played in Theodorakis' orchestra in the 1970s, before taking up a literary and artistic career in the USA. A noted translator (into English) of Greek poems and novels, she is also the author of a ground-breaking study of Greek urban music (Road to Rembetika, 1975) and of folk laments: Dangerous Voices: Women's Laments and Greek Literature (1992/1995). She recently retired as director of the Mediterranean Studies Initiative at Cornell University, where she remains an adjunct...See more

Gail Holst-Warhaft played in Theodorakis' orchestra in the 1970s, before taking up a literary and artistic career in the USA. A noted translator (into English) of Greek poems and novels, she is also the author of a ground-breaking study of Greek urban music (Road to Rembetika, 1975) and of folk laments: Dangerous Voices: Women's Laments and Greek Literature (1992/1995). She recently retired as director of the Mediterranean Studies Initiative at Cornell University, where she remains an adjunct professor in Comparative Literature. Recent books include The Fall of Athens (poetry and prose memoir, 2016) and Nisiotika: Music, Dances and Bitter-sweet Songs of the Aegean, 2021. Her translations include Achilles' Fiancee by Alki Zei (1991) and The House with the Scorpions, selected poems of Mikis Theodorakis (2020). See less