Why travel to Paros, Greece to work on your project? The House of Literature in Lefkes lists many advantages but let me first provide some background.

The Greek island of Paros has long been a haven for artists of all types. I am not referring to the ancient Greek sculptors using the famous Parian marble or one of the first Greek poets, Archelogos, who lived here. I mean since the 1960’s when modern tourism was born on the Greek islands. Many visitors with an artistic temperament fell in love with the light, the air, the cheap living and ended up staying.

Now Paros has a thriving art community of expatriates as well as Greeks. Most visible are the many oil painters and sculptors that have studios and galleries throughout the island as well as in the two main towns Parikia and Naoussa. Local and visiting artists alike love the picturesque mountain village of Lefkes. I have written before that when walking its narrow streets it is impossible to contort yourself to not see a painting or photograph composition.

For the last two years this delightful village has been the home of the House of Literature. This former hotel is a joint project between the Municipality of Paros in their effort to advance cultural tourism and the European Translation Centre for effecting a closer contact between Greek and foreign literatures. They have created an oasis of ideal working conditions for writers and translators, including sleeping rooms, a sitting-room, fully equipped kitchen and dinning-room, desktop computers and library.

More important, I think, is the tranquility of Lefkes. This out-of-the-main-stream island town is relatively quiet even in high season. Yet never more than a 30 minute drive (1 hour by bus) from anywhere else on the island—busy or quiet beaches, busy towns or quiet villages, antiquities, museums, windsurfing, all that a Greek isle has to offer. One can even walk the Byzantine Trail from Lefkes to a coastal village. Simply, there is no limit to both inspiration and distraction.

Now for the amazing part! Full use of this facility for up to two weeks is as low as 50 Euros per person, if you meet the criteria. In other words if you are an EU citizen and a published writer or translator—non EU persons pay a little bit more. Non-writing companions are allowed. The application is quite brief and costs nothing. I believe there are many open dates.

So why try to write with the distractions of home or the full cost of a resort when you can travel to our piece of paradise on Paros and work in serenity or be distracted by the Greek island culture?

For further information about travel to Paros or Greece see our full service Paros web site.


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