Athens Literary Salons

Award-winning writer Ruth Padel in conversation with Ian Collins

Athens Insider launches a new series of conversations with international literary luminaries, Athens Literary Salons, as part of the Athens City Festival.

Following last year’s runaway success, Athens Insider continues with its literary salons featuring writers who have set their books in Greece. Greece has been a muse to countless scribes over the years, and our literary guests this year are no exception.

In this context, we feature Ruth Padel whose Daughters of the Labyrinth is a transformative novel about a daughter’s passionate quest for the truth about what happened to her parents in Crete during the German occupation. It is also a sumptuous and sensuous evocation of Crete itself, its landscape and culture. Ruth Padel’s brings a poet’s eye to this world of great physical beauty and gnarled legacy.

In conversation with Runciman award-winner Ian Collins. The conversation will be held in English from19:00 to 20:30.

A wine and cheese reception will follow the discussion, sponsored by Wines of Athens. Books available for sale by Lexikopoleio.

Ruth Padel

Ruth Padel is an award-winning British poet, novelist, and non-fiction writer best known for her poetic depictions of migration, both human and animal. Her involvement with classical music, wildlife conservation, and ancient and modern Greece puts her at the forefront of literary fame, most notably winning the UK National Poetry Competition. Along with building an extensive anthology, Padel has taught at countless prestigious universities across the globe, including Princeton University and King’s College London. Her latest book, Daughters of the Labyrinth was shortlisted for the Runciman Award in 2022.

Ian Collins

Ian Collins is a prominent writer and curator who specializes in art and anthropological studies, more specifically of East Anglian Art. He has written monographs on the likes of Rose Hilton, Joan Leigh Fermor and John McLean. Collins’s most recent work, John Craxton: A Life of Gifts, recounts the life and career of a rebellious 20th-century British artist and reveals personal stories kept hidden until Craxton’s death. This book awarded Collins the impressive Runciman Award given by The Anglo-Hellenic League.
The Literary Salons have been organized by Athens Insider, the oldest Athens city magazine entering its 23rd year with a bold new voice and more projects to help celebrate the new era for Athens. Entrance to the event is free. Please email info@insider-magazine.gr to confirm your place.

The Literary Salons have been organized by Athens Insider, the oldest Athens city magazine entering its 23rd year with a bold new voice and more projects to help celebrate the new era for Athens. Please email info@insider-magazine.gr to confirm your place.