The C. P. Cavafy Professorship in Modern Greek at the University of Michigan is a fully-endowed chair housed in the Departments of Classical Studies and Comparative Literature. It is named after Constantine P. Cavafy (1863-1933), the best-known modern poet writing in Greek. The choice of the name is inspired by the poet's eminence, his diachronic interest in Hellenism, and his diasporic fate. It also recognizes the Foundation of Modern Greek Studies, which endowed the Professorship through tireless generous contributions of members of the Greek diasporic community in the United States. Cavafy, too, was a Greek of the diaspora who made an enormous contribution to Greek letters. Born in Egypt and raised in England, he wrote his finest work in Alexandria, Egypt, a city identified with his name. Cavafy emerged as an enormously influential writer, with poems such as "Ithaca" and "Waiting for the Barbarians" quoted widely across the globe.
The Professorship is a vital piece of the Modern Greek program. Its endowment means that the University of Michigan has and will always have full-time faculty devoted to teaching modern Greek and organizing events for the benefit of the broader community.
