
Krouna Writing Workshop
Papingo, Greece
Master Novel and Memoir Workshop:
July 12-18, 2025
Five days of group workshops, craft talks, and free time to write and think, in a stunning setting of cliffs and mountains with instructors Henriette Lazaridis and Anjali Mitter Duva and Guest Instructor Cathy Elcik.

Master Novel and Memoir Workshop
This workshop best suits students with a novel or memoir draft either completed or partially under way.
You'll submit up to 50 pages of a prose manuscript, or two short stories, or 50 pages of memoir/creative non-fiction. Henriette and your fellow students will read the work and make notes and be ready to comment constructively during workshop. You'll each receive one full session focused on your work over the course of the six days, as well as craft talks and opportunities to discuss writing issues throughout the week. Three workshop groups, each capped at 5 students per instructor.​
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Typical Daily Schedule
Breakfast at your inn
Workshops meet up at 10:00am and run to 1:00pm, with a break for second breakfast midway through
Lunch at 1:00 at a taverna walking distance from the house
3:00 Afternoon for free time to write, go on group walk, visit instructors during office hours at the house
7:30 Mezze at the Lazaridis house during craft talks and/or short readings of student work
8:30 Dinner in the village on your own (though most dine in a group!)
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Location: Papingo
A mere hour's drive from the Ottoman-era city of Ioannina, Papingo is one of the most unique villages in Greece. Perched at an elevation of 3,000 feet, it is bordered on one side by the cliffs of Astraka which rise to 8,000 feet, and on the other by the open view of waves of mountains all the way to the Ionian Sea. At one corner of the Astraka cliffs is Vikos Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world for its width and length. Settled since the Byzantine period, Papingo reached its peak of prosperity in the mid-nineteenth century when its men traveled throughout the Balkans and as far as Odessa as merchants. They brought back to Papingo not only wealth and stability, but also a thirst for education and a dedication to culture that still stands behind most of Greece's lasting cultural and educational institutions. Today's Papingo looks outward to tourism and the arts. The village hosts several inns and boutique hotels, tavernas, cafes, and a library. The courtyard houses that fill the village are examples of Ottoman-era architecture, and some, like the Lazaridis house, are graced with Balkan folk art.

Lodging
Students will be lodged in one of Papingo's many good inns. The village is small enough in area that lodging will be a few steps from the Lazaridis house where workshops will take place.
Transportation
Aegean Airlines has daily service from Athens to Ioannina. We will collect students from Ioannina Airport (King Pyrros Airport) after their short flight and drive them the remaining one hour to Papingo. A round-trip ticket to Ioannina from Athens costs roughly 100 Euros (approx. $130).

CONTACT
For any questions, please contact Henriette Lazaridis: