Cécile Inglessis-Margellos, a former PIERCE student (1966-1969), translator and literary critic, has been awarded the French distinction “Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters” for her outstanding contribution to helping spread French literature and culture.

Conferred on Cécile Iglessis-Margellos by French Ambassador to Athens Jean Loup Kuhn-Delforge

French Ambassador Jean Loup Kuhn-Delforge hosted the award ceremony on December 19 at the French Ambassador’s residence in Athens in honor of Ms Inglessis-Margellos, a scholar specializing in 16th-century French literature, literary translator, critic and writer. “Through her work at the National Book Centre, Ms Inglessis-Margellos actively promotes books in Greece, especially French books, is one of the most important figures in Greek-French cooperation in the written word,” while she is also recognized for her excellence in translating from French to Greek notes the French Embassy.

Ms Inglessis-Margellos spent her first four high-school years at PIERCE, before moving to Paris – where her father was relocated for work – she has kept close contact with her classmates, and is a strong supporter and advocate of the American College of Greece.

“The PIERCE spirit is instilled in Cecile Inglessis-Margellos,” said Mary-Irene Triantafillou (DEREE ’89), The American College of Greece’s (ACG) Executive Director of Development, who attended the awards ceremony in honor of Ms Inglessis-Margellos. “I could not help but feel emotional and proud listening to her acceptance speech upon being bestowed the Order of Knights of Arts and Letters,” she added.  ACG Trustee Ulysses Kyriakopoulos also attended the ceremony.

Ms Iglessis-Margellos with Ulysses Kyriakopoulos, ACG Trustee

Cécile Inglessis-Margellos has translated fiction, essays and poetry from French to Greek (Antoine Berman, Colette, Pierre Drieu La Rochelle, Jean Giraudoux, Raymond Queneau) and from Greek to French.  She has also translated two novels by Louis-Ferdinand Céline: Journey at the End of the Night, and Conversations with Professor Y into Greek. Her translation of Céline’s novel Death on Credit is forthcoming in 2015, as is her annotated translation of Plato’s Symposium from Ancient into Modern Greek.

Along with Rika Lesser, she translated the poetry of Greek poet Kiki Dimoula to the English-speaking world for the first time through the Margellos World Republic of Letters series at Yale University Press – translating Dimoula’s volume of poetry, The Brazen Plagiarist (2012). The Margellos World Republic of Letters is an endowed series made possible by Cecile and her husband Theodore Margellos, and brings important works of world literature into English, since it was established in 2007.

Ms Inglessis-Margellos holds a diploma from the Institute of Political Sciences of Paris (Sciences-Po, 1975), a license in Sociology (Paris X Nanterre, 1975), and a Diplôme d’Études Supérieures (University of Geneva, 1997). She has worked for the Permanent Greek Delegations to the OECD in Paris and at the United Nations in Geneva, representing Greece at the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the UNCTAD, respectively. She has also taught translation theory and practice at the Centre de Traduction Littéraire of the French Institute of Athens and is a contributing writer and reviewer in Greek newspaper Vima and to various literary magazines.

She divides her time between Athens and Geneva – where her husband Theodore (Ted) Margellos is the founder of IJ Partners and is currently its Co-Managing Partner.

Ms Iglessis-Margellos with her husband Theodore Margellos and John Donatich, General Manager Yale University Press (YUP) during the launch ceremony of the Margellos World Republic of Letters at YUP (April 2007)

Ms Iglessis-Margellos with Olivier Descotes, General Manager of the French Institute

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