Nikephoros Vrettakos was born in the village of Krokees, near Sparta, Laconia but originated from Mani.
He published his first collection of poems, Under Shadows and Lights, in 1929, at the age of seventeen.
[1][2] He also wrote a poem about Kostas Georgakis, the student who set himself ablaze in Genoa as a protest against the junta.
Nikephoros Vrettakos was considered one of Greece's most important poets.
Some of his poems became popular songs in musical settings by Greek composers, including Mikis Theodorakis.