Panos Karnezis

Panos Karnezis is a Greek novelist and short-story writer known for his storytelling and exploration of human experiences. He writes primarily in English and has received notable acclaim for his contributions to contemporary literature.

Panos Karnezis was born in 1967 in Amaliada, Greece. He grew up in the western region of Greece, specifically in the Elis part of the Peloponnese peninsula. In 1992, Karnezis moved to England to study engineering. He completed his engineering studies and worked in the industry for several years. He later pursued an M.A. in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.

Karnezis's literary career began with his first book, Little Infamies (2002), a collection of interconnected short stories set in an unnamed Greek village. It was followed by his novel The Maze (2004), set during the Greek-Turkish War of 1919–1922. The Maze was a finalist for the Whitbread First Novel Award in 2004.

His subsequent novels include The Birthday Party (2007), The Convent (2010), and The Fugitives (2015). Karnezis' stories often explore themes of displacement, identity, and the human condition, set against the backdrop of his Greek heritage.

In 2019, Karnezis published We Are Made of Earth (2019), a novel that begins with an intense scene of a capsizing dinghy filled with refugees. Among the survivors is a doctor who saves one life at the cost of another. This story unfolds on a small Greek island, where the doctor and a boy he rescues find refuge with a debt-ridden circus owner and his Asian elephant. We Are Made of Earth examines the moral and emotional costs of seeking peace and security, resonating with the contemporary issue of refugee crises.

Karnezis' short stories have been broadcast by BBC Radio 4 and featured in publications like Granta, New Writing 11, Prospect, and Areté. The Times Literary Supplement has remarked on his ability to capture "details that catch like splinters in that part of the imagination that responds to pure storytelling."

Throughout his career, Karnezis has received several awards. Most notably, he won the Pendleton May First Novel Award in 2004 and was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award that same year.

Panos Karnezis currently resides in London.

Photo credit: X @PanosKarnezis