Interview with Kostas Stofoforos
-How did you decide to proceed with the research and writing of the “Chronicle of Lemnos”?
Although I was not born in Lemnos, nor have I ever lived there permanently, it is the place of origin of my entire family. And there, of course, I have spent almost all my childhood and teenage summers. It is a place that I consider “my own”, a place that I have been studying and learning about almost since I was a child. The idea to write the “Chronicle” was born gradually, in response to the frequent questions of friends and relatives about this or that part of the island’s history, and even in response to a challenge I set myself: can I talk about a place I know and love, not to my colleagues, but to those who want to know a few basic things about an island that may be completely unknown to them?
-What does this Chronicle include?
The book includes the myths, history, monuments, landscapes and lifestyle of the people of Lemnos, from the depths of Greek prehistory to the present day. My aim was to make it easy to read as well as accurate, thorough, and rich in information and images but not overloaded and heavy – both metaphorically and literally. This was aided, of course, by the unparalleled technique of Capon Publications, the craftsmanship of Rachel and Moses Capon, and their talented collaborators, who respected my text and brought out the rich photographic material I was able to gather.
