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A new series from Europa Editions, The Passenger collects the best new writing, photography, art and reportage from around the world.
IN THIS VOLUME: Once Upon A Time: The Greek Taverna by Petros Markaris・Land of Migration by Matteo Nucci・The Lost Generation by Christos Ikonomou・plus: Yorgos Lanthimos and the “Weird Wave” of Greek cinema, the island where people forget to die, the NBA’s most valuable player, the mayor who balanced the books but enraged the nationalists, abandoned buildings, oligarchs on the rise, the rebellious rhythm of rebetiko and much more...
Few countries have received more media attention in recent years and even fewer have been represented in such vastly divergent ways. There’s a downside to all this attention: everyone seems to have something final to say about Greece. News headlines replace people’s individual stories, impressions substitute facts, characters take the place of people.
In this volume of The Passenger, we chose to set those opinions aside in order to give to the stories, facts, and people of Greece the dignity and centrality they deserve.
“On the Greek island of Ikaria, life is sweet . . . and very, very long. What is the locals’ secret?” from The Island of Long Life by Andrew Anthony
Praise for The Passenger: Greece
“Fresh and diverting, informative and topical without being slight or ephemeral [ . . . ] This supremely well-edited combination of current affairs, journalism, commentary, and fun facts is perfect for our pause-button moment.”—Australian Financial Review, Best Books of the Year
Praise for The Passenger
“The Passenger readers will find none of the typical travel guide sections on where to eat or what sights to see. Consider the books, rather, more like a literary vacation—the kind you can take without braving a long flight in the time of Covid-19.”—Publishers Weekly
“A wonderful publication and a beautiful object. The Passenger is a pleasure to read, to hold, and to look at.”—La Repubblica
“A must-read. Much more than a travel guide, The Passenger is indispensable for any reader who is curious about the world.”—Il Venerdì
Contents
Greece in Numbers
The Mythbuster — Elisabetta Garieri
A Sign of the Times — Thomas Tsalapatis
Theatre of Crisis — Graziano Graziani
Athens: A Palimpsest of Perspectives — Nikos Vatopoulos
A tour through time around the buildings and neighbourhoods of Athens.
Lands of Migration — Matteo Nucci
In a sea of indifference and racism there are still havens of welcome and hospitality; the Greek islands have in recent years seen an influx of asylum seekers shut out by ‘Fortress Europe’.
The Lost Generation — Christos Ikonomou
Hundreds of thousands of young Greeks have left the country and now feel remote and resentful, an attitude shared by those who are unable to leave and so find themselves doubly frustrated.
Once Upon a Time: The Greek Taverna — Petros Markaris
Culinary enthusiast and crime writer Petros Markaris explains how eating habits have changed in Greece over the past few decades and how the legendary taverna is becoming increasingly rare.
The Apostate — James Angelos
In his two terms as mayor, Yiannis Boutaris balanced the books in Greece’s second city Thessaloniki, while promoting its Jewish and Ottoman identity to attract Israeli and Turkish tourists – and in the process enraging nationalists and Orthodox Christians.
Athenian Microdramas — Kostas Koutsourelis
A tragicomic portrait of the daily battle of Greek against Greek, amid suspicion of strangers, devotion to personal connections and unwavering solidarity in the face of the common enemy: the oppressive state.
Paperchase — Rachel Howard
At the peak of the crisis, a British woman decides to return to Greece to make her contribution to a country she loves and which has been her home for many years – but she has not reckoned with Greece’s fearsome bureaucracy.
The Island of Long Life — Andrew Anthony
On the island of Ikaria life is sweet ... and very, very long. So what is the islanders’ secret?
Greeks Bearing Gifts — Alexander Clapp
During the crisis Greece fell into the hands of a new generation of oligarchs who amassed fortunes and took advantage of the emergency to snap up strategic parts of the country.
A Way of Life — Matteo Nucci
Rebetiko is rebel music – challenging power, war and conformism – and it has, in recent times, once again been showing its revolutionary potential.
An Overdose of Love — Dimitris Papanikolaou
New Greek cinema has been celebrated internationally, but after Yorgos Lanthimos, its leading light, left to work in London, Greeks want to see a little more love for their country.
The Greek Freak: Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Road to Heaven — Thomas Tsalapatis
There is something miraculous about the achievements of this basketball star of Nigerian descent – and his exploits have even forced the Greek far right to backpedal and agree to grant him citizenship.
David and Goliath — Gilda Tentorio
Tales from Another Greece — Valerio Millefoglie
An Author Recommends — Ersi Sotiropoulos
The Playlist — Konstantinos Fragkoulis
Further Reading