Hundreds of Greek academics worldwide are expressing serious concern about the exclusion of the Greek language from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform. Specifically, through an initiative by the International Hellenic Association (IHA), university professors, academics, writers, educators, researchers, publishers and members of the international intellectual community are requesting through their letter that the company “reconsider its current policy and demonstrate leadership in protecting linguistic and cultural diversity in the digital age.”
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“Cultural loss” – excluding Greek language from Amazon
Additionally, in their letter they point out that Amazon derives its name from Greek mythology and language, emphasizing that “The exclusion of the Greek language — one of the foundational languages of global intellectual history — would not merely constitute a technical oversight, but a cultural loss whose consequences extend far beyond the Greek-speaking community itself.”
The letter from Greek academics abroad
Specifically, in the letter signed primarily by Greek diaspora academics, gathered through the initiative of the International Hellenic Association (IHA), regarding Amazon KDP’s decision — a self-publishing platform that allows authors to publish their books digitally or in print and distribute them to a global audience — it is noted among other things:
Amazon KDP currently allows publication of works in numerous regional and minority languages with significantly fewer speakers than Greek, such as Cornish, Manx, North Frisian, Romansh, Corsican and others. At the same time, Greek — a language spoken today by approximately 13 to 15 million people worldwide — remains excluded from KDP’s publishing services. Therefore, this issue cannot reasonably be explained solely by commercial or demographic criteria.
The Greek language holds a unique position in humanity’s cultural and intellectual history. With more than 3,400 years of continuous written tradition, it ranks among the oldest spoken languages with continuous written presence in the world. Greek is the language of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Hippocrates, Archimedes and the New Testament, as well as fundamental works that shaped philosophy, democracy, medicine, mathematics, political thought, theology, literature and sciences.
Greek is not simply a historical language. It is a living language and a living intellectual tradition. For millennia it has functioned as a matrix of meanings and values centered on humanity.
Words like democracy, philanthropy, politics, ethics, dialogue, philosophy, history and theory are not merely linguistic legacies. They represent entire achievements of human civilization. The Greek language gave linguistic form to the first anthropocentric civilization of freedom, where the citizen and community emerged as central subjects of contemplation and creation.
The Greek language also expresses with exceptional precision the foundations of democratic life. Terms like democracy, isegoria, isonomy and isopoliteia embody the principles of citizen participation, equality and political inclusion in the community. These concepts are untranslatable into other languages with their original content and constitute foundational concepts for modern societies.
Greek literature and thought also offered humanity a language of moral resistance against arbitrary power. In Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound,” the “philanthropic manner” is contrasted with tyranny, presenting love for humanity as a moral and political choice. This legacy remains deeply relevant in the digital age, where access to language constitutes simultaneous access to memory, education, participation and cultural dignity.
The Greek language, therefore, is not only a means of communication nor simply a commercial tool. It constitutes a treasure of wisdom, virtue and beauty — a language that has shaped humanity’s moral, political, scientific and creative vocabulary.
The significance of the Greek language has also been recognized internationally by UNESCO, which officially proclaimed February 9th as World Greek Language Day, recognizing Greek’s timeless contribution to world civilization and humanity’s cultural heritage.
The exclusion of Greek-language book publishing from one of the world’s most influential digital publishing platforms creates obstacles for Greek and Greek-speaking writers, educators, students, researchers, publishers and readers worldwide. Simultaneously, it undermines the broader principle of linguistic and cultural diversity in the global digital environment.
For many years, Greek writers and publishers have relied on Amazon for international dissemination of literary works, scientific studies, educational materials and historical content. Meanwhile, Greek consumers have supported Amazon’s products and services throughout successive stages of technological evolution.
For these reasons, Amazon is called upon to:
- Restore and maintain the ability to publish works in Greek through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) services
- Ensure reliable support for Greek-language books
- Publicly reaffirm its commitment to multilingualism and cultural diversity in digital publishing
- Collaborate constructively with Greeks and academic institutions regarding the future of Greek-language publishing activity
- Recognize that languages with major historical, educational and cultural significance should not be excluded from global digital infrastructure for publishing and knowledge dissemination
