Victoria Hislop & Alicia Elsbeth Stallings awarded Lord Byron Medal

The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) held its first-ever Lord Byron Medal ceremony on February 4, where it will bestow awards to two prominent figures for their work in promoting Greek culture, arts and letters.

Named after the great British poet and Philhellene, the Lord Byron Medal was awarded  to British author and member of the Royal Society of Literature Victoria Hislop, and to American professor of poetry at Oxford University, Alicia Elsbeth Stallings, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Both Hislop and Stallings gave speechs on the society’s work and the significance of the award, an institution established in 2021.

The keynote address was delivered by Athens Academy board president Michael Tiverios, while the awards were  presented by SHP President Constantinos Velentzas.

As part of the ceremony, the Hellenic Air Force Band  performed popular compositions by Verdi, Bizet, Puccini, Lehar and Strauss under the musical direction of Alexandros Litsardopoulos, accompanied by baritone Angelos Musicas and soprano Sophia Zova.