Lili Bita

Biography

Lili Bita was born on the island of Zante (Zakynthos). She graduated from the Greek Conservatory of Athens and the Athens School of Drama, and performed on the Athens stage and with leading Greek repertory companies. In 1957 she emigrated to the Federal Republic of West Germany, and in 1959 to the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1969. She earned an M.A in Drama from the University of Miami in 1978.

Bita has pursued a dual career in the United States as actress and author, notably with her one-woman shows "The Greek Woman Through the Ages” and “Freedom or Death”. She has taught at numerous American universities, most recently at Villanova University (1989–91). In 1987-88 she was Artist in Residence at Drexel University. In 1995 she toured India under the auspices of the Greek government, and returned there as part of the World Shakespeare Conference in 2002.

She has offered master classes on the art of drama in more than fifty American universities. Her verse has been translated into English, French, German, Spanish, and Bengali. In 2014, she was elected to the Hellenic Authors Society, the oldest and most prestigious literary society in Greece.

Early in her career, Anaïs Nin wrote of her: “Lili Bita fulfills her promise. . . . Her words are strong, body and soul in balance. Her vision is direct, unifying and complete.”

Works

Prose fiction:

Poetry:

Autobiographical:

Translations:

Plays:

Anthology