
Krouna Writing Workshop
Tentative 2024 Dates:
August 4-10
Papingo, Epirus, Greece
Six days of group workshops, craft talks, and free time to write and think, in a stunning setting of cliffs and mountains with instructor Henriette Lazaridis.

Master Novel Workshop
This workshop best suits students with a novel draft either completed or partially under way.
Students will submit up to 50 pages of a prose manuscript, or two short stories, or 50 pages of memori/creative non-fiction . Instructors and fellow students will read the work and make notes and be ready to comment constructively during workshop. Students will each receive one full session focused on their work over the course of the six days, as well as craft talks and opportunities to discuss writing issues with the instructor and students throughout the week. Workshop size limited to 5.
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Most afternoons, the instructor will be available for 'office hours' where students can bring specific narrative/craft questions for brainstorming.
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Generative Workshop
tentatively to be held in 2024
This workshop suits anyone who is interested in getting some fiction writing onto the page. No prior experience required!
Students will generate new material each day, sometimes following prompts from the instructor and sometimes writing during their free time. When we meet as a group, students will share a total of ten pages, reading them aloud for discussion afterwards.
For both the Master and the Novel in Progress workshop, each day will also include lunch served in the courtyard, followed by free time to write or to join in guided walks or hikes around the village. Students will convene again in the courtyard for meze appetizers and ouzo and readings and discussion while the sunset turns Astraka's cliffs a bright pink. Dinners will be on students' own in the village. Workshop size limited to 5.
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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).

Tuition Costs
Tuition for the 2024 Krouna Writing Workshop is $2,750*.
Admission is rolling.
Tuition includes:
Six nights accommodation in a local inn
Group workshop sessions (one per student)
Readings and informal discussions
Guided optional hikes and excursions
Lunches, Snacks, Appetizers
Round-trip transportation from Ioannina to Papingo by car
How to Apply
Send a ten-page writing sample, a description of your prior workshop experience, and a paragraph explaining why you would like to participate in the workshop to: henriette [at] henriettelazaridis [dot] com. Last date to apply: May 15, 2024.
Admission is rolling.
*limited scholarships available

CONTACT
For any questions, please contact Henriette Lazaridis: