“The Place Where I Am From”: Gennadius Library Announces the Winners of Its Centenary Student Competition
To mark its 100th anniversary, the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens invited students from schools across Greece and in the diaspora to explore the Library’s collections and consider the many ways in which a sense of place is shaped by history, landscape, memory, and personal experience. Held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, the student competition “The Place Where I Am From” (Ο τόπος μου) offered young participants an opportunity to engage creatively with the cultural heritage preserved at the Gennadius Library.
Founded in 1926, the Gennadius Library was established to house an extraordinary collection of books, manuscripts, archives, maps, works of art, and other materials documenting the history and cultural heritage of Greece from antiquity to the modern era. A century later, the Library continues to serve as a center for scholarship and a vibrant place of learning, opening its collections to new generations and encouraging students to discover, interpret, and reimagine the past.
As a starting point for their projects, participating schools were introduced to three broad thematic areas drawn from the Library’s collections:
- Geography, History, and Cartography
- The Natural and Urban Environment
- Personal and Experiential Documents
These themes invited students to look at the idea of “place” from different perspectives and to transform historical sources and cultural materials into original forms of creative expression. The competition encouraged research, historical inquiry, creative writing, and artistic exploration, while bringing together disciplines including history, language, art, and social studies.
The response was enthusiastic: 44 individual and group entries were submitted by students from schools throughout Greece. Following the evaluation of the works, eleven entries received awards across five categories: Creative Writing, Video/Short Film, Dramatic Composition, Visual Arts, and Written and Artistic Creation.
The Gennadius Library extends its warmest congratulations to all the award recipients and its sincere thanks to every student who participated, as well as to their teachers and families for their encouragement and support. Each contribution offered a distinctive perspective on the theme of “My Place” and helped make this centenary initiative a meaningful celebration of the Library’s collections and its enduring educational mission.
Awarded Works
9th–10th Grade
1st Prize — Creative Writing
Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel: Her Life, Political Conflicts, and Connection with Greece
Ioanna Oikonomou — Experimental School of the University of Athens
Teacher: Georgios Doulfis
2nd Prize — Creative Writing
The “Imaginary Diary” of Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias in Aegina
Katerina Gargkaniti — Mesagros Junior High School, Aegina
Teacher: Panagiota Vassi
1st Prize — Video / Short Film
Weaving Memory into Rigas’ Map
Sotiria Dedoglou, Konstantina Doukaletsi, Dimitrios Zapartas, Paraskevi Karakoula, Dimitrios Keskinis, Makis Mokalis, Anna Babalia, Angelos Babalias, Georgios Nakos, Athanasia Nakou, Konstantina Sampsouni — Tychero Soufli Junior High School
Teacher: Christos Tsapanis
Prize for Dramatic Composition
Diary of a Soldier of the Asia Minor Campaign
Anastasios Blatsioris, Seleni Katseli, Nikolaos Mosaidis, Eirini Paschou, Dimitra Tripilopoulou, Ioannis Chatzidafnis — 31st Junior High School of Thessaloniki
Teacher: Georgia Garezou
1st Prize — Visual Arts
Olive Tree
Angeliki Stavraki and Efstathia Ntavou — “Elliniki Paideia” Schools, Maroussi Junior High School
Teachers: Aikaterini Giannatou, Konstantinos Skondras
2nd Prize — Visual Arts
Untitled (Girl in Traditional Costume)
Kyriaki Papathanasiou — “Elliniki Paideia” Schools, Maroussi Junior High School
Teachers: Aikaterini Giannatou, Konstantinos Skondras
11th–12th Grade
1st Prize — Creative Writing
Swan Song
Paris Rerras — Varvakeio Model Lyceum
Teacher: Aikaterini Moustakatou
2nd Prize — Creative Writing
Persephone
Elpiniki Manavi and Marilia Matakoulia — American Farm School of Thessaloniki
Teacher: Angeliki Kosta
1st Prize — Video / Short Film
Voion
Alexandra-Maria Goutziou — Kozani School of Arts
Teacher: Maria Tsaousidou
2nd Prize — Video / Short Film
The Diary of an Officer Aboard the Averof
Elpida Gargali, Athanasia Kavaleri, Despoina Kechagia, Athanasia Manolakoudi, Giovana Mile, Melitini Repanida, Alexandra Chavia — Moudros General Lyceum, Lemnos
Teacher: Maria Papapanagiotou
1st Prize — Written and Artistic Creation
Preveza
Evangelia Xingki — Rizarios Ecclesiastical School, Model Ecclesiastical Lyceum
Teacher: Antonios Kaponis
Celebrating a Century of the Gennadius Library
The Awards Ceremony will take place on September 26, 2026. Further details will be announced shortly.
As the Gennadius Library celebrates its first century, “The Place Where I Am From” reflects the Library’s continuing commitment to connecting its collections with new audiences and to fostering curiosity, creativity, and engagement with Greece’s cultural heritage. Through the eyes and voices of its youngest participants, the competition has offered a fresh way of looking at the places and histories that connect us to the past and to one another.
Educational Design and Implementation Team
Georgios Apostolou. Philologist, Educator and Author
Areti Dimitra Douka. Educator; PhD holder in the Teaching of Literature, University of Angers and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Natasa Chalkia. Philologist; PhD Candidate in Creative Writing, University of Western Macedonia
Dionysios Kampolis. Artist and Art Educator
General Coordination
Maria Georgopoulou. Director, Gennadius Library
Zoi Polymeropoulou. Education Advisor
Maria Smali. Administrative Assistant and Communications Coordinator, Gennadius Library
Eirini Solomonidi. Head Librarian, Gennadius Library