Joan O'Shea Talphezian brings alive the drama of a young refugee making the terrifying crossing in this forceful, emotional story. Endless violent circles. There is nothing in the chill morning to hint that this day will be different. Yet, there is nothing ordinary or usual either. The air is filled with the pungent smells of...
Read moreA 'humorous and moving story about a mother’s love for her faraway son,' Majella Cullinane's powerful story is runner-up in the adults category of the Bloomsday Writing Competition 2020, organised by the Embassy of Ireland and Athens Insider. The judges described her writing as 'beautiful, natural prose in a powerfully convincing voice th...
Read moreJames Russell's uncanny ability to inhabit the fears and pleasures of a 7-year old boy earns him third place in the Adult category of the Bloomsday Writing Competition 2020 organised by the Embassy of Ireland and Athens Insider. The judges described his writing as 'a considerable feat, to take us inside the mind of a child, with its yea...
Read moreFinn Brannigan's infectious account of an allergy-ridden day earn him the runners-up spot in the Under-18 category at the Bloomsday Writing Competition 2020. Wish Flowers Wouldn’t Bloom-sday The dream comes to an abrupt end. By force of habit, I keep my eyes squeezed shut. I know for a fact that opening them, even slightly, wil...
Read moreFelix Wahlström's evocative story of a sheep thief condemned to death earns him the third place at the Bloomsday Writing Competition 2020 in the under-13 category. The Last Day of the Sheep Thief It was the eighth of June 1854 in Co. Galway. The previous day a young man called M was sentenced to be hanged for sheep stealing. In...
Read moreLuke Barry's adventure-packed story earns him the second place in the Under-13 category of the Bloomsday Writing Competition 2020. Sunrise 6 am The sun rose majestically through the savannah. A pride of lions took full advantage of the shade of a tree before its broad leaves withered in the heat of the sun. The roaring sound of...
Read moreMelissa Diamond cherishes Friendly Folegandros for many reasons – its tranquility, its hospitality, but most of all, for the precious gift of freedom that this timeless Cycladic treasure bestows on her two young children. My love affair with Folegandros began … When I first travelled there six years ago to visit friends and exp...
Read moreIn the third and final leg of his Magical Tour, John Kittmer takes us atop mountains he has yet to conquer, across inhospitable cliffs that plunge into turbid, inky waters. In my gloomier and lonelier moments in the ambassador’s office in the ugly concrete block of the Athens Embassy, I would part the bomb curtains at the wind...
Read moreWe’ve been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response to Greece’s first-ever Bloomsday Creative Writing Contest. The entries kept flooding in, with almost as many entries coming in on our last day as all the other days, proving that writers are indeed procrastinators! Thank you for your transporting reads – your stories took us on train rid...
Read moreWhen Monique van Hulst moved from the Netherlands to Athens in 2007, bicycling was considered a death wish. A quiet cycling revolution has been underway since, and one of the positive fallouts of the lockdown has been the born-again zeal of new converts to cycling. That change in mindset, coupled with a real determination to make Athens a...
Read moreGreat news for craft beer lovers out there. Ethel Dilouambaka does all the hard work of guzzling a few pints to curate the ultimate beer guide. Strange Brew Taproom & Bottleshop In the up-and-coming neighborhood of Koukaki, one will find Strange Brew taproom on Falirou street. Here, you get to enjoy the delicious concoction...
Read moreJohn Carr on why it’s better to be safe and sure until we find a vaccine pure. We should have known it wouldn't last, We tore up our wise rules too fast. With Dr T no longer seen On our living room wide screen, Too many of us, scant of thought, Decided that we simply ought To take advantage of the start Of a Greek summe...
Read more
