Mihail Sevastos (born Ionel Mihai Sevastos; August 1892 – September 24, 1967) was a Romanian poet, prose writer, memoirist and translator.
Born in BotoÃÂani, his parents were the poet Artur Stavri, whose name does not appear on his son's birth or death certificates, and the folklorist Elena Didia Odorica Sevastos. He attended primary school in IaÃÂi from 1898 to 1902. Between 1902 and 1910, he studied at the city's Costache Negruzzi Boarding High School, passing through the lower and then upper divisions, classical section. Sevastos then enrolled in the law faculty of IaÃÂi University. In 1911, he was hired as a proofreader at ViaÃÂa RomâneascÃÂ, later advancing to editing secretary.
Sevastos' first published poem was "Cântecul ciobÃÂnaÃÂului Nacu" (1908). His first volume of poetry, Rime sprintene (1920), was followed much later by Cronici rimate (1963) and Versuri (1967). He edited AdevÃÂrul literar ÃÂi artistic between 1925 and 1939. He published two magazines: Teatrul from 1912 to 1913, together with George Topîrceanu; and TorÃÂa in 1945. He was editor-in-chief of Lumea-Bazar magazine. Sevastos' contributions appeared in Cuvântul liber, Convorbiri Critice, Facla, MiÃÂcarea, Rampa, Lumea, Lumea literaràÃÂi artisticÃÂ, Cronica, AdevÃÂrul, Dreptatea, FlacÃÂra, ÃÂnsemnÃÂri literate, DimineaÃÂa, Seara and Opinia. Pen names he used include Cronicar, Proletar, Rinaldo, Reinaldo, Yacassa and M. Sever. Among the authors he translated are Anton Chekhov, Alexander Serafimovich, Mikhail Sholokhov, Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev and Gleb Uspensky.
His novels were Aventurile din strada GrÃÂdinilor (1934) and Camioneta verde (1938), along with Documente omeneÃÂti, which appeared posthumously in 1970. Sevastos' prose is that of an industrious journalist, sensitized to human tragicomedy, a "collector of human documents" incapable of cultivating a pure epic. An "objective and impartial" witness, he remains the memoirist of the prestigious ViaÃÂa Româneascàgroup. His recollections were published in 1956 as Amintiri de la âÂÂViaÃÂa RomâneascÃÂâÂÂ, reworked in a second edition of 1966.
The standard date given is August 2, but August 6 and 8 have also been proposed. The birth certificate reads, "the date is not known".