As part of the municipality’s “Melina Mercouri” cultural activities but mainly to honor a leading artist, Leonard Cohen, who lived in and was inspired by the Hydra Town, the Demos will devote two days at the Melina Mercouri Exhibition Hall to honor the Canadian writer, composer, songwriter and singer associated with the Hydra in the early 60s. Cohen will be made an honorary citizen of Hydra, an award that the Canadian ambassador to Greece will accept on his behalf on June 13.

Leonard Cohen in Hydra

In September 1960, a few days after his twenty-sixth birthday, Cohen bought a house in Hydra. In 1963 he settled on the island, where he continued to write. During the eight years that he lived on Hydra, he wrote two books of poetry, including the renowned Flowers for Hitler, and two novels, Favorite Game and Beautiful Losers, the latter of which won him worldwide acclaim as a writer. Many of his famous songs and poems, such as “Bird on the Wire,” “Sisters of Mercy,” and “I’m Your Man,” got their start on Hydra, which was a source of inspiration for Cohen.

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