Giannis Xesternos is a graduate of the Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology at the School of Philosophy of the University of Ioannina, and holds a Master’s Degree from the Interuniversity Program in Creative Writing of the University of Western Macedonia. He has worked as a philologist in both public and private education. He was a co-founder of the fanzine Astidromos (2008–2013, 9 issues). He has received a Poetry Commendation at the 5th Panhellenic Literary Competition of the Club for UNESCO of Arts, Literature & Sciences of Greece (2016) and a Second Poetry Commendation at the 3rd International Literary Competition of Apostaktirio Publications on the theme “1974–2024: 50 Years Since the Illegal Turkish Invasion and Occupation of Cyprus” (2025). His first poetry collection, Árriktes Frιktories (Iolkos Publications, 2023), was shortlisted for the Varveris Award of the Hellenic Authors’ Society for debut poets. The second poetry collection is titled Podílato me aerοsako (Iolkos Publications, 2025). He has contributed to several collective volumes and anthologies, including For the Great Gabo: Greek Writers Honor the Memory of Gabriel García Márquez (Enastron Publications, 2024), which was translated into Italian and Spanish through a collaboration between PEN Greece and PEN International, and published respectively in Italy as Il grande Gabo and in Colombia as Al gran Gabo. His work has appeared in print literary journals (Logotechniko deltio, Mouson, Noima, i odontotos, Ta Poiitika) as well as in online magazines (Hartis, Monocle, Thraca, Culturebook, Fractal, Mandragoras, Poeticanet, Poiein).
