Ionian Inspires British Writers
London 12/11/08

An event full of memories, experiences and reminiscences with the purpose of stressing the Ionian as a source of literature inspiration.

The event Ionian Inspires held on Wednesday 12th November at a central London club, with the participation of significant figures from the British intellectual world, together with representatives of the British media.

Honoured guests were: Louis de Bernieres, author of the novel "Captain Corelli's Mandolin", Lee Durrell, wife of the famous writer Gerald Durrell as well as being a writer herself, and Jim Potts, writer and former director of the British Council, who coordinated the evening's speeches and discussion.

The event Ionian inspires was an impassioned evening dedicated to literature, poetry and love - a celebration of writers inspired by the local colour of the Ionian. Their words were emotive and warm; they spoke from their hearts about their experiences and conveyed to attendees (with their own language) the picture of our astonishing islands.

Ionian Inspires received funding from the Region of the Ionian Islands and the Greek National Tourism Organisation.

"...so many British journalists at a Greek event have not been seen before"
(correspondent from one of the major Greek television channels)

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

Ionian Inspires

London Nov.11, 2008

The event Ionian inspires held on Wednesday 12th November at a central London club, with the participation of significant personalities of the British intellectual world, but also representatives of the British media.

Honoured guests were: Louis de Bernières, author of the novel "Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”, Lee Durrell, wife of the famous writer Gerald Durrell - writer herself also- and Jim Potts, writer and former director of the British Council, who coordinated evening’s speeches and discussion. The Region of the Ionian Islands hosted the event, where Region’s Secretary-General Sotiris Vosdou welcomed the guests and the British journalists. Overall at the event they were around 130 attendees, which is unprecedented for such an event held in London. It is remarkable that a correspondent from one of the major Greek television channels mentioned that so many British journalists in a Greek event have not been seen before. To mention few: The Observer, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Daily Mirror, BBC Fast Track, Daily Mail / The Mail on Sunday, BBC 5, Conde Nast Traveler, Timesonline.co.uk, Harpers Bazaar, Daily Express / Sunday Express, The Sun, Greece Magazine, British Guide of Travel Writers, New! Magazine, the London Paper, Entertainment News, GMTV, MSN.com, Star, OK, The Travel Channel, Daily Star, You and Your Wedding, A Place in the Sun, New!, Food and Travel, Anglo - Hellenic News Letter, Closer, Alpha TV and Eleftherotypia.

Among the Greek attendees were the Secretary General GNTO Iraklis Valvis, the Secretary General of the South Aegean Region Charalambos Κokkinos and representatives of the Local Government and bodies of the four prefectures of the Ionian.

At the beginning of the event the Secretary General of GNTO addressed brief greeting and then the Secretary General of the Region welcomed the distinguished guests and presented Louis de Bernières with an icon of St. Gerasimos, the volume "Ionian Islands" and an honorary plaque recognising his contribution to the promotion of Cephalonia and Ionian Sea through his work. Similar gifts offered to the other two authors.
Louis de Bernières took the floor and thanked Mr Vosdou for the "symbolic" gift responding with humor that St Gerasimos is the protector of mad people. Soon after he mentioned his first fears regarding the impact of his book might had to the potential tourist sudden intrusion to the hitherto peaceful island or the excessive use of the names of heroes in commercial activities "the tavern of Corelli", "the ouzeri of Pelagia" "Kapten Corelli Tours" etc. He even remembered a phone call from the chairman of the Hoteliers of Cephalonia, soon after the film version of his book: "Thank you, Thank you 25%" shouted Mr Galiatsatos delighted, implying the increase of tourists arrivals by 25% that summer.

The event "Ionian inspires" was an emotional evening dedicated to literature, poetry and love as those writers inspired from the local colour of the Ionian. Their words were emotive and warm; they spoke from their hearts about their experiences and conveyed to attendees (with their own language) the picture of our ashtonishing islands. It is worth mentioning the intervention of another author, John Waller, who addressed the audience stressing that this is the real Greece and not the one that malignant press articles tried to proclaim only few days ago.

The guests were offered plenty of wine from Corfu and Cephalonia, and Greek dishes (even sofrito). The evening ended magnificently, with an exceptional Greek traditional music concert for piano and voice. Marina Theodoropoulou (a graduate of the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University) performed traditional songs in their first execution and Helen Kokki accompanied her at the piano.
The guests left content of the quality evening giving us the promise that will not only write about the event but soon will visit the islands to experience this famous Inspiration of the Ionian.
First to visit Louis de Bernières, who the organisers will host next summer in Corfu and they even invited him to participate in the festival "Ionian Concerts" playing the mandolin in a special show (for those who do not know Louis de Bernieres plays flute, mandolin and guitar and he is member of the group "the Antonius Players").