Frank Reidy reviews Writers’ Retreats in Greece

La Casa Grande is a wonderful Retreat and so conducive to creative endeavours. It is located next to the small hillside village of Agios Ioannis, Evia and within 15 minutes of the iconic seaside town of Aliveri, full of tavernas, cafes and supermarkets. But the key to this retreat is La Casa Grande itself.

The stone-built house with its patios and awnings is peaceful and has many nooks and crannies to work in. Yet, this lovingly refurbished house has all modern conveniences with a first class kitchen with a fast, secure and reliable broadband connection. There are numerous walks and strolls around the village some easy and others challenging.

Nikos manages the facility conscious of the needs of artists and writers and is readily available to assist and guide. The excellent logistics of the Retreat with ‘meet and greet’ at Athens Airport and the transfer at the end of the Retreat relieve the guest of worries or concerns. Nikos’s attention to detail and his practical approach is refreshing.

Above all else, La Casa Grande is a great place to work in and reflect. It’s very walls are lyrical and homely. After an all too brief sojourn, I can assuredly recommend La Casa Grande.

Once again Nikos and Georgia and families thank you for a wonderful visit and “I will be back”.

Frank Reidy Irish WriterFrank Reidy is a former army commandant, defence and security analyst focusing on Middle East & East Africa, member of TG4 Board, researcher and of course writer. During his 25 years in the Defence Forces, he was stationed in the Curragh in Kildare as head of the Audio Visual Unit, where he lectured on Media Studies in the Military College. He spent periods in both the Middle East and in Rwanda. On his retirement, he spent some time working with RTÉ as a reporter and researcher. He returned to Rwanda in 2000, working for Refugee Trust International. He regularly returns to Africa, travelling and as a voluntary worker.

His first book, Ó Chósta go Cósta, which was published by Cló Iar-Chonnachta in 2009, is based on his travels in east Africa. Ó Chósta go Cósta won the prestigious the Irish language book of the year award – Gradam Uí Shiúilleabháin – in 2010. Frank was born in Sligo and he lives in Ros a’ Mhíl, Co Galway. He is a regular contributor to both Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4 on both defence and international issues.

Frank spent two weeks staying in La Casa Grande in October 2019.

Agnes Marton reviews Writers’ Retreats in Greece

I highly recommend the Artist Residency La Bodeguita in Dafni, Greece. I spent ten days there and got a lot of writing done. Can’t wait to be back to enjoy the uninterrupted time, the not-at-all touristy beach, the home-made meals, and last but not least the hospitality and friendship of my hosts.

Agnes Marton from Luxembourg visits La Bodeguita in Dafni (Writer's Retreats Greece)Agnes Marton is a Hungarian-born poet, writer, librettist & Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK). Recent publications include her collection ‘Captain Fly’s Bucket List‘ and four chapbooks with Moria Books (USA).

She won the National Poetry Day Competition in the UK, and an anthology she edited (Estuary: A Confluence of Art and Poetry) won the Saboteur Award. Her work is widely anthologized, some examples are: ‘Alice – Ekphrasis at the British Library‘ & ‘Anthem: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen‘.

Agnes stayed in La Bodeguita in September 2019.

New Res Artis website is live!

Res Aris Logo

Res Artis is a worldwide network of Arts Residencies, comprises more than 700 vetted members in over 85 countries & they operate from three international offices: the Netherlands, Australia and Iran.

They are the worldwide professional body for the field, ensuring sustainability and growth by providing capacity building tools for their members through face-to-face meetings and digital platforms. Besides that, they aim to support and connect residencies, engage and advocate the importance of residencies in today’s society, and provide recommendations towards cultural mobility research and policy.

Res Artis LogoWriter’s Retreats in Greece is a proud Residency Member of this great network since 2017 and we are so proud and honoured of being selected to represent Greece.

Recently, the brand new Res Artis website went live! So, do not waste time & go to https://resartis.org/ to start exploring.

Here are some exciting new features:

  • Mobile friendly
  • GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliant
  • Easier navigation
  • Increased visibility through enhanced Member Profiles (searchable by region or detailed filters; profiles linked to Google maps; more detailed profiles with better image quality)
  • Res Artis services: https://resartis.org/services/
  • Dedicated Member Portal (add and edit open calls, news items, profile; and access extensive Resources including our digital Library, Res Artis Reports and Logos, Digital Learning and Mobility Funding.)

Thank you Res Artis for allowing us to be part of your great network. So far, it was a crucial partner that enabled us to grow and host talented & creative people. We hope the new website will push it further.

Congratulations Res Artis!!!

The family of Writer’s Retreats in Greece

Writer’s Retreats in Greece welcome Agnes Marton

Agnes Marton Poet & Writer

Agnes Marton from Luxembourg visits La Bodeguita in Dafni (Writer's Retreats Greece)
Agnes Marton from Luxembourg visits La Bodeguita in Dafni (Writer’s Retreats Greece)

We are excited to announce the arrival of Agnes Marton this summer.

Agnes has chosen to spend 9 days in La Bodeguita in Dafni in order to work on her latest writing project.

Agnes Marton is a Hungarian-born poet, writer, librettist & Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK). Recent publications include her collection ‘Captain Fly’s Bucket List‘ and four chapbooks with Moria Books (USA).

She won the National Poetry Day Competition in the UK, and an anthology she edited (Estuary: A Confluence of Art and Poetry) won the Saboteur Award. Her work is widely anthologized, some examples are: ‘Alice – Ekphrasis at the British Library‘ & ‘Anthem: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen‘.

Her fiction was called ‘exceptional’ at the prestigious Disquiet Literary Contest (USA). In the award-winning poetry exhibition project Guardian of the Edge, 33 accomplished visual artists responded to her poetry. She has been a resident poet at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, on a research boat in the Arctic Circle, and also in Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Canada and the USA. She is based in Luxembourg.

Agnes is looking forward to her writer’s residencies in Ireland (Tyrone Guthrie Centre), the Azores (Disquiet), Serbia (Belgrade Art Studio), Spain (The Valparaiso Foundation) and Greece (Writers’ Retreats Greece) so that she could finish her first novel.

Also, she is going to polish the manuscript of her second full poetry collection ‘For Waltz You Don’t Need a Compass‘ during her residency at the Museo de Arte Moderno Chiloé, Chile (the manuscript was a finalist of the Munster Literature Centre international competition).

Agnes, we wish you a warm welcome & hope that our Residency will come up to your expectations.


Writers’ Retreats in Greece becomes part of Res Artis Network

Dear friends,

We are very proud to announce the beginning of our partnership & collaboration with Res Artis, the biggest Worldwide Network of Artist Residencies. 

“Encounter the world in residencies”

As part of this creative global community, with 600 centers, organisations, and individuals in over 70 countries, we commit ourselves to offer to artists, curators, and all manner of creative people the essential time and place away from the pressures and habits of every-day life as well as an experience framed within a unique geographic and cultural context.

Those interested in attending a residency can use the information and resources on Res Artis website, gaining insights into the profiles of their members and staying informed about their events and application deadlines.

Since 1993, through the volunteer efforts of the Board of Directors and countless partners and friends, Res Artis has grown to become the largest network of its kind, promoting the role of residential art programs as a vital part of the contemporary arts world, stimulating the creative development and mobility of artists, and furthering intercultural understanding.

We are so happy & fortunate to be part of this family & we will strive to make our Writers’ Retreats the perfect place to host creativity, inspiration, innovation, imagination and people with a vision who look for a place to commit.

Stay tuned & spread the word. More exciting partnerships & collaborations are on their way!

Best Regards

Nikos Dimitriou

General Manager