Ellene (Eleni) Phufas-Jousma
Founder and Publisher
I founded Ouranos Books out of a lifelong love for Greek culture, history, literature, and Orthodox Christianity. After spending four decades in higher education teaching English, Film, Writing, and English as a Second Language in the United States and abroad, I have devoted my work as a translator, editor, and publisher to making Greek voices heard in the wider world. Through Ouranos Books, I share the richness of Greek storytelling—classical, modern, and contemporary—bringing it to English-speaking audiences with clarity and care. We also welcome manuscripts and projects written in other languages, so long as they reflect Orthodox ideals of faith, love, patriotism, and community. Beyond publishing, I am committed to preserving cultural memory and historical truth, believing that books are bridges across generations, nations, and conversations.
Board of Directors
Theodoros Maragos
Board Member
​Theodoros Maragos, born in Filiatra, Messinia, is an acclaimed Greek filmmaker, animator, screenwriter, and educator. Largely self-taught in animation, he won early recognition with his award-winning short films Tsouf (1969), Sasst (1971), and Plot (1971). His first feature film, Take Your Positions (1973), was named Best Film of the Year, followed by the landmark Child, Learn Your Letters (1981), which received four awards at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and became a major commercial success. Throughout his distinguished career, Maragos has directed acclaimed feature films, documentaries, and television productions while mentoring a new generation of filmmakers through his teaching of film, screenwriting, and animation. His work has been honored at festivals in Greece and internationally, establishing him as one of the leading figures in modern Greek cinema.
Nikos Stamatakis
Board Member
Nikos Stamatakis earned his law degree from the University of Athens before completing both his M.A. and Ph.D. in the social sciences at Stony Brook University, New York. His scholarly work centers on social anthropology, Greek identity, and geopolitics. A longtime journalist, editor, and publisher, he has written extensively on Greek national issues and founded the news and analysis website Helleniscope.com. Throughout his career, he has combined academic scholarship, journalism, and public advocacy in support of Hellenism and the Greek diaspora.
George Harvalias
Board Member
George Harvalias is a journalist, political analyst, and author specializing in geopolitics and international affairs. A graduate of the University of Athens, he earned master's degrees in Comparative Politics from the University of Kent and War Studies from King's College London. He began his journalism career with Eleftheros Typos before serving as an international affairs analyst for the Greek state broadcaster (ERT), covering major diplomatic developments and reporting extensively throughout the Balkans. He later became Director of both the daily and Sunday editions of Ethnos, resigning in 2010 on principle in opposition to the newspaper's downsizing policies during Greece's financial crisis.
Today, he writes for Dimokratia and serves as a strategic consultant on geopolitical affairs. He is the bestselling author of Jawohl! Blood, Oblivion and Subjection – German Dominance in Europe: The Bitter Greek Experience.
