The Municipality of Rhodes, through the Department of Education and Youth and the Rhodes International Center for Writers and Translators (RIWRT), in collaboration with Ikaros Publications and the “Karavaki” Bookstore, is organizing the presentation of author Elena Maroutsou’s new book, titled “The Garden of the Fugitives.” The event will take place on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 7:30 p.m., at the DKSMR premises (10a Antiploiarchou Laskou Street).
Taking ancient Pompeii and the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD as her starting point, Elena Maroutsou weaves a polyphonic novella that bridges the past with the present, linking historical memory with human desires, love, loss, and personal trauma. Through the stories of people in the modern era, as well as through the narratives of objects left behind in the ancient city, inanimate objects gain a voice and history meets imagination, transforming Pompeii into a place of confrontation with memory, time, and the fragile nature of human existence.
The title of the book—the author’s tenth work, published by Ikaros Publications—refers to a paradoxical meeting place: a garden that symbolizes stability and escape, loss, but also the possibility of a new beginning.
Evi Zachariadou, a literature teacher at the Rhodes Music School, and the event will be introduced by Irini Symiakou, Director of the Rhodes International Center for Writers and Translators. This event is part of the International Center for Writers and Translators of Rhodes’ initiatives to promote a love of reading, showcasing contemporary Greek literature, and fostering communication between readers and authors.
Admission is free to the public. For more information, interested parties may contact the Rhodes International Center for Writers and Translators at 2241028557.
