France Awards Prestigious Title to Author Christos Markogiannakis

The French Republic recently awarded Greek author Christos Markogiannakis the prestigious title of Knight of Arts and Letters at a ceremony in a prominent Paris museum, celebrating Greek culture in the city’s historic halls.

In his opening remarks, renowned writer, historian, and presenter Stephane Bern, who leads cultural heritage preservation initiatives under the auspices of the President of France, highlighted Markogiannakis’ role in fostering cultural and literary bridges between Greece and France. Bern emphasized that although Markogiannakis is a criminologist and often writes crime scenes, literature can “deliver” and enrich society — a key reason for France’s recognition.

The ceremony was attended by notable figures including former Élysée Palace protocol chief and diplomat Laurent Stefanini, authors such as Andrea Marcolongo, ambassadors from Cyprus (Pavlos Kompos) and Monaco (Valérie Bruel Melchior), Pierre-Alexis Dumas of Hermès, Denise Villegrain, curator at Palais de Tokyo, Prince Joachim Murat, and Maxim Ohayon, sponsorship director at the Royal Opera of Versailles, alongside a host of journalists.

Markogiannakis’ books in Greek include Death on Stage, On the 5th Floor of the Law School, Novel with a Key (Minos Publishing), and Omero, the Hidden Son (Psychogios Publishing), which have earned him recognition for his unique contribution to contemporary Greek literature.