MANI LIT FEST
Full Programme
Things can change! Watch this space.
FRIDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2025
10.00 WORKSHOP: STITCHING A TALE
(WITH CAROL MCGRATH AND LISA EVELEIGH)
10.00 WORKSHOP: WRITING VIVIDLY ABOUT THE PAST
(WITH DEBORAH SWIFT)
13.00 WORKSHOP: ‘I’ll bet you don’t skip the dialogue.’
(WITH KALMAN DEAN RICHARDS)
13.00 WORKSHOP: TELLING THE TALES
(WITH GILL PAGE)
16.30 EVAN FALLENBERG: 10 TIPS FOR APPROACHING THE NOVEL
Many writers consider the novel to be the pinnacle, the grandest writerly aspiration, but for others it is simply the most natural place to tell a story. This session will offer tips and ideas to potential or mid-project novelists on how to approach, organize, execute and produce the novel you have always wanted to write.
17.15 GILL PAGE: THE SHIP OF STONE: BRINGING THE MEDIEVAL PELOPONNESE TO LIFE
The medieval history of the Peloponnese is an incredible, vivid scene packed with gallant knights, industrious ladies, idiot princes and epic battles - and yet it is comparatively little known. Having spent more years than I care to name researching my thesis on medieval Greek ethnicity, I came to know the period and setting really well - and ended up spending even longer working on my novel 'The Ship of Stone'. Over the last year, I’ve been whipping this tale into publishable shape and 'The Ship of Stone' is now out for agents, while I’m hard at work on the sequel. I’ll be talking about the challenges of turning from fact to fiction - and the joys of editing.
18.00 CAROL MCGRATH AND LISA EVELEIGH ‘IN CONVERSATION. THE LOST QUEEN, THE LIONHEART AND THE THIRD CRUSADE.'
18.45 LULU KEATING WILL READ FROM HER SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS, INCLUDING STORIES ABOUT MUFFINTOP MOLLY AND FROM HER BOOK ‘SPLINTER AND SHARD’.
19.30 DEBORAH SWIFT: WOMEN SECRET AGENTS OF WORLD WAR 2
A talk about the extraordinary training and life of a female Special Operations Executive agent in WW2 occupied Europe.
20.45 'INSIDE THE MANI' WITH MAT DEAN
Local publisher Mat gives a brief potted history of the rise and fall and subsequent re-birth of the Inside the Mani magazine and offers prizes to the winning team in the following quiz.
21.00 THE BIG LIT FEST QUIZ, HOSTED BY MIKE CURTIS
Book your team (up to 6 people) in for our fun quiz compiled by Mike Heath, a mixture of literature, music, film and general knowledge. There will be a prize for the champions.
Bookings by email to manilitfest@yahoo.com or CALL INTO PATRIKO CAFE TO BOOK YOUR TEAM IN.
DURING THE QUIZ WE WILL ALSO BE ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF OUR ONLINE PICTURE QUIZ WHICH RAN THIS SUMMER.
SATURDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2025
10.00 WORKSHOP: THE BOOK GAME
(WITH DEBORAH SWIFT)
10.00 WORKSHOP: OUT OF THE BLUE
(WITH ALIZON ROBERTSON)
13.00 WORKSHOP: USING SCREENWRITING TECHNIQUES FOR LITERARY WRITING
(WITH LULU KEATING)
16.30 PAM GARELICK: KAZANTZAKIS AND ZORBAS
Pam Garelick has recently translated into English a book by local Stoupa resident Katerina Georgilea- Exarhoulea, who joins her today to talk about the relationship between the author Kazantzakis and his foreman at the lignite mine in Stoupa, Alexis Zorbas. The mine was in operation during World War One. Katerina's grandfather was baptised by Zorbas and she has many stories and recollections. The events took place in Stoupa but the fictional book by Kazantzakis was set in Crete, his home island.
17.15 CLAIRE PAPAMICHAIL (translator) presents SWEET MELANCHOLY by Elin Gruffyd
Sweet Melancholy is a project intertwining film photography with the words of the artist Brenda Chamberlain in a visual exploration of Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) and the Greek island Hydra. Gruffyd’s work is ‘often situated In nature, explores simple beauty, intimacy and femininity’ and is a ‘broad study of island life, art, literature, mythology and photography.’
17.45 PANDORA BETHEA: READING (POETRY AND FICTION)
Pandora Bethea will be reading in English from her bilingual poetry book "With Eyes Wide Open/Με τα μάτια ανοιχτα" as well as a few of her short stories from other publications.
18.30 KALMAN DEAN-RICHARDS: READING
Kalman Dean-Richards, writer, playwright and filmmaker from the Black Country area of the UK and author of Marco? (reviewed as the most exciting new work since Trainspotting) will read from his work.
19.15 LISA EVELEIGH: HOW NOT TO MURDER GEORGETTE HEYER
When studying for a Masters at the University of East Anglia, Lisa Eveleigh did a module run by their Drama, Film and TV school, entitled 'Adaptation and Interpretation' whether book to screen, book to radio, or book to stage. She chose a much loved novel by Georgette Heyer and will describe her dismay at being told to rip up the text and start again.. and the solution that she eventually found.
20.00 PEDALO PERIL, HOSTED BY STEPHANIE ROUSE
The excitement is building again for our now legendary balloon debate, featuring another motley crew of fictional characters enjoying a pedalo trip out in the Messinian Bay. On the way back they run into a strong current, and no amount of furious pedalling stops them from hitting a huge rock. The only way to stop the pedalo sinking is to reduce the weight in the boat – who gets to stay on board, the decision is yours!
21.00 OPEN MIC HOSTED BY PAT WOOLFE
Now it's your turn to step up to the mic!
Sign up on the day