From Cricket Pitch to Literary Stage: How Corfu Captured a Writer's Heart
In an unexpected beginning for a story about a Mediterranean paradise, the narrative starts in Kensal Green Cemetery, west London, during the tail end of winter in 2021. Amidst crumbling imperial mausolea and rain-dissolving clouds, the pandemic's strange phase lingered with masks and heightened bodily awareness. This somber setting hosted the burial of Nikos Louvros, a man who embodied the spirit of Corfu for many.
A Search for the Perfect Greek Island
Throughout my twenties, I embarked on a quest to find the ideal Greek island, traveling from popular destinations like Mykonos and Santorini to more obscure spots such as Kythira and Symi. None matched the childhood vision shaped by authors like Robert Graves, Mary Renault, Lawrence Durrell, and John Fowles. Greece existed first as an idea—a blend of freedom, deep thought, sand, salt, and thyme—before becoming a tangible place.
The Cricket Invitation That Changed Everything
On a whim, I accepted an invitation to play cricket in Corfu, knowing little about the island's strategic history or its unique cultural fusion of Greek, Venetian, and British influences. I had yet to experience the Liston, an elegant colonnaded arcade reminiscent of Venice or Trieste, or the cricket pitch set within a Unesco world heritage site. Surrounded by a car park and battling heat, salt spray, and playful children, this pitch offers a view of the Old Fortress and the Palace of St Michael and St George, blending solidity with elegance.
A Motley Team and Corfiot Hospitality
Joining the Lord's Taverners, a UK sports charity team, I found myself among former internationals like Andy Caddick and Chris Cowdrey, actors, entertainers, and fellow writers. The Corfiots proved formidable at cricket, with the Greek national team largely drawn from the island. After a sound defeat, we were consoled by warmth, generosity, and exquisite dinners in the Old Town.
The Birth of a Literary Festival
At one such dinner at the Pergola, I met Nikos Louvros and his wife Annabelle, founders of Cricket Corfu. Nikos exuded wild Greek energy, while Annabelle embodied the English passion for Greece. By the meal's end, over lamb, ouzo, and local wine, we had envisioned a literary festival. Launched modestly in 2017, the Corfu Literary Festival grew with local support, featuring speakers like Stephen Fry, Sebastian Faulks, and Bettany Hughes, who fell in love with the island.
Nikos's Legacy and the Festival's Evolution
Nikos lived to showcase Corfu's beauty and drama, and though he is gone, the festival endures. This September, it returns with Homer's Odyssey as its theme, reflecting the island's seamless blend of myth and reality. Nikos taught me to swim early, after lunch, and at dusk, embracing Corfu's varied coastline from Myrtiotissa's private miracle to Paleokastritsa's clear waters and Agni Bay's gentle shores.
Corfu's Green Heart and Culinary Delights
Contrary to Cycladic sparseness, Corfu boasts lush olive groves, cypress trees, and villages like Lakones with breathtaking views. Its cuisine, shaped by Venetian influence, features dishes like pastitsada, sofrito, and bourdeto. In Corfu Town, nights at Salto and ice-cream at Papagiorgios offer a taste of tradition.
A Pandemic-Era Festival and Final Memories
In 2020, amid Covid lockdowns, the festival defied odds with spaced chairs, masks, and hand sanitisers, fostering laughter and humanity. Nikos's spontaneous boat trip along the north-east coast provided a respite from fear, with swims in hidden inlets symbolizing freedom snatched from darkness. He died of Covid the following January, leaving the island charged with grief yet enduring love.
A Novel as a Love Letter to Corfu
My novel, A Stranger in Corfu, dedicated to Nikos, explores the island's layered past, secrecy, and hospitality. It serves as a love letter to a place that has given immeasurably. To experience Corfu, swim often, drive into the hills, eat leisurely, and embrace spontaneous adventures. If someone offers a boat and an idea, say yes—it might just change your life.
