The novel «Στου Χατζηφράγκου» (“In the Chatzifrangou Quarter”), published by Kosmas Politis in 1962, aimed to contribute to the Greek cultural memory of the expulsion of the Greek Orthodox population from Asia Minor in 1922. This workshop will focus on the techniques Politis used to reconstruct the “lost city” of Smyrna. Unlike other commemorative discourses, the novel presents the city as a palimpsest where hybrid identities interact. Soundscapes are a crucial part of the novel’s literary geography. City sounds and songs reveal the cultural practices of the characters and the variety of their origins, highlighting different languages, genres and traditions. Politis uses sound to signify and construct a rich network of symbols and ironic interplay. The workshop will also include excerpts of some of the songs mentioned in the novel.

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Respondent: Jamie Reuland, Department of Music

Image: A 1911 recording on vinyl of the Greek song “Tabahaniotiko Mane.” Kounadis Archive, "Tampachaniotiko mane", 2019