Author to explain Greek odyssey at literary festival

Sunday 31 July 2016

Audiences at Jersey’s Festival of Words will be amongst the first to quiz best-selling author Victoria Hislop about her latest book which is believed to be a ‘fiction first.’

In ‘Cartes Postales from Greece’ Mrs Hislop combines prose and full-colour photos in what is thought to be a world first. It’s being released on 22nd September and she’ll be at the literary festival at Jersey’s Art Centre seven days later.

Mrs Hislop says “during my travels in Spain and Greece I’m always taking photographs. And it seemed to me wouldn’t it be obvious, and an ambitious idea, to show what impresses and influences me.” The finished book has nearly 100 full colour photographs. It’s added considerably to the production costs, but according to Mrs Hislop has made the work more rounded: “adult fiction in full colour.”

What is equally important to her is that the photographs were taken at the same time as she was writing, rather than as an after thought. “I want people to see what I saw: the time of day, the light – not after the event.” For her the visual and the written word are intertwined. For the reader it provides a fascinating insight into the author’s inspiration and how she works.

Although she has no family links – to quote her “no ancient Greek aunt living up in the hills” – she’s fallen in love with the country. She’s a regular visitor. The country’s inspired many of her works, and she’s learned the language. But, as she makes clear: “I’m not in love with ancient Greece, more contemporary Greece and its eccentricities. They do things so differently from Western Europe.”

Although Mrs Hislop read English at Oxford she never dreamed of becoming an author, instead harbouring a desire to excel at tennis and play at Wimbledon. That never happened and she went on to work in PR and as a journalist.

The novel that made her name, ‘The Island’, was published in 2005, and was inspired by a visit to an abandoned Greek leprosy colony. The book’s now sold more than two million copies and been translated into 24 languages. Greek television turned it into a 26-part TV series.

Other Greek inspired works include ‘The Thread’ – the turbulent tale of Thessaloniki and its people across the 20^th century; and ‘The Last Dance and Other Stories’.

Her latest novel is about a man who’s been waiting in Greece for his girlfriend to arrive, and who, when he realises he’s been jilted, goes on a 9-month odyssey around the country rather than return home to the United Kingdom. As he travels he writes and sends a series of postcards, and the story unfolds.

Mrs Hislop will be appearing at the Arts Centre on Thursday 29^th September at 20:20 as part of the Jersey Festival of Words 2016. During her one-and-a-half hour stint she’ll be reading sections from her latest book, showing some of the pictures that she’s used to illustrate her work, explaining how she goes about her writing, and answering questions from the audience.