Yannis Mitrofanis studied Education Sciences and Modern Greek Literature at the University of Crete. Later, he did postgraduate studies at the same university and specialized in Literature for Children and Young Adults. With a scholarship from I.J.B (Internationale Jugend Bibliothek), he studied comparative theory and European Children’s literature. In 2001, he completed as scholar of IKY (State Scholarship Foundation) his doctoral dissertation in the area of Modern Greek Literature.

From 1995 to 2010 he was a scientific associate of the Center of Intercultural and Migration Studies. He participated in the writing of texts books for teaching Modern Greek as a Second Language, while he edited the Anthology of the Modern Geek Diaspora. At the same time, he taught in educational and training programs for teachers of the Geek Diaspora, Modern Geek Literature and Children Literature in Training Center (Didaskalio) for the Teaching Staff in Elementary Level. Since 2015 he is Laboratory Teaching Staff at the Department of Philology at the UoC.

His research interests focuses on 19th -20th Century Modern Greek Literature, also Literature for Children and Young Adults, Theory and History of Literature, Education and Literature.