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Istanbul Rum Tradition #42: On Jan. 6, Epiphany, bishops throw crosses into the sea. The spectacle is welcomed by all religions & particularly appreciated by fisherman & sailors. Divers for the cross are traditionally men, but this year in Kınalıda, Istanbul,

Amazing essay/interview by Rana Haddad with Michael Vatikiotis about being a Levantine outsider. Rana Haddad Michael Vatikiotis The Markaz Review is @markaz-review.bsky.social themarkaz.org/the-hybrid-the…

Istanbul Greek Idiom #453: A folding fan is a βεντάλια/vendália (< Italian ventaglio) in Central Greek and a φυσερό/fyseró (<φυσώ=blow) in Istanbul Greek. Α φυσερό/fyseró in Central Greek, however, is a bellows or a machine that blows air.

Read Nektaria Anastasiadou's recent review here: bit.ly/courage-and-co…

A mesmerizing story from the Egyptian novelist Mansoura Ez Eldin in The Markaz Review: "The dream and the nightmare are spun from the same thread." Mansoura Ez-Eldin The Markaz Review is @markaz-review.bsky.social themarkaz.org/not-a-picture-…

Honoured that my short story «Πάλαι ποτέ διαλάμψας» (The Formerly Brilliant Bishop) is at the head of this anthology about Istanbul/Constantinople edited by Elpidoforos Intzebelis and published by Ellinoekdotiki.

Question for non-Istanbullus (because I need the opinion of people not in the know): what do you think of the title Markíz for a novel? The original title in Greek is “At the Feet of Eternal Spring,” which doesn’t work in English. Does the title "Markíz" attract you in any way?

I read from my novel "At the Foot of Eternal Spring/Στα Πόδια της Αιώνιας Άνοιξης" at minute 26.15 of the program "Our City/Η Δική μας Πόλη" from Hellenic National Broadcasting (ΕΡΤ). ΕΡΤ ertecho.gr/radio/i-foni-t…

#MUSTREAD Want to curl up with a good book this weekend? AL-Monitor #istanbul City Pulse's #BookoftheWeek is "A Recipe for Daphne" by Nektaria Anastasiadou. For tips on events, books, concerts and all things culture 👉emailcampaign.al-monitor.com/t/t-e-sdtujdd-…

In Eleftheros Typos, a review of the anthology Constantinople, containing my short story Πάλαι ποτέ διαλάμψας (The Formerly Brilliant Bishop).

Istanbul Greek Idiom #454: Because gossip is disgustingly orgiastic & out of control among Rums, the idiom has many words for it, including κουτσομπολιό/kutsombolió (also used in Central Gk) as well as λακιρντί/lakirdí (<Turkish lakırdı) & ντεντικοντού/dedikodú(<Turkish dedikodu)

ΠΡΟΧΟΧΗ: Η παρατεταμένη ανάγνωσις μυθιστορημάτων παραμορφώνει το πρόσωπον, προκαλεί ρυτίδας, και λαξεύει αύλακας παρά τους οφθαλμούς (κατά μια πολίτικη εφημερίδα του 1912).

Happy pub date to my one and only prose book!:

My novel "A Recipe for Daphne" displayed amidst the finest cotton and porcelain of the Al Mudira West Bank Luxor hotel gift shop. Apparently, my writing is considered posh in Luxor, Egypt.