COMPETITION - GOLFO FESTIVAL

–2nd PLAYWRITING COMPETITION "SPYRIDON PERESIADIS" 2027

1901 – GRAND HÔTEL DE PATRAS – AN ENCOUNTER

“And so fully did I imagine you”

— C. P. Cavafy, Caesarion (1918) Translation: Daniel Mendelsohn

ARS ANIMA – GOLFO FESTIVAL announces the 2nd “Spyridon Peresiadis” Playwriting Competition 2027, entitled “1901 – Grand Hôtel de Patras – An Encounter.” The theme of the competition is an imagined encounter between the playwright Spyridon Peresiadis (1854–1918) and C. P. Cavafy (1863–1933), during the Alexandrian poet’s brief stay in Patras in the summer of 1901.

Cavafy’s historically documented journey provides the starting point for a fictional encounter, opening up possibilities for original theatrical narratives and contemporary approaches to performance.

The competition’s theme lends itself to a wide range of dramaturgical approaches and forms of theatrical writing: from conventional drama and monologue to poetic theatre, non-linear narratives and experimental forms of theatrical composition. Participants are free to choose the dramaturgical form that best serves their creative vision, provided that the submitted text constitutes an original theatrical work.

The international scope of the competition reflects the universal appeal of Cavafy’s work and the poet’s prominent place within the international literary and scholarly community. The call is open to playwrights from Greece and abroad, seeking to explore, through diverse cultural perspectives, the creative encounter between two figures of Greek literature.

Key Dates

31 May 2027: Deadline for the submission of plays.

31 July 2027: Announcement of competition results.

20–30 August 2027: Study and preparation of the three award-winning plays. (Hellenikon Idyllion, Selianitika, Achaia)

12 September 2027: Awards ceremony in Mesorrougi, Achaia (birthplace of Spyridon Peresiadis).

December 2027: Staged readings of the three award-winning plays in Patras.

Fictional Histories…

In June 1901, Constantine P. Cavafy embarked on his first journey to Greece. After spending several weeks in Athens, he travelled to Patras, where he was to board the steamship Scilla, operated by the Rubatino shipping company, bound for Corfu and Brindisi, before continuing his journey to Alexandria. He stayed in Patras for approximately three days, during which he met various people, explored the city, and recorded his impressions in his personal travel diary.

And this is where fiction begins…

Staying at the same hotel is the nearly blind playwright Spyridon Peresiadis, accompanied by his sister Aspasia, on the occasion of new performances of Golfo in Patras. The Achaean writer is experiencing the painful loss of his sight while also gaining artistic recognition, as his play is being performed both in Greece and abroad.

Spyridon Peresiadis, aged 47, and Constantine Cavafy, aged 38, meet in the hotel lounge. How do they react? Are they familiar with each other’s work? What might connect the pastoral Greece of Golfo with the cosmopolitan world of the Alexandrian poet? Is there an intellectual affinity between them, or merely a polite handshake between two strangers?

Entrants are invited to imagine their own version of this encounter freely, drawing on historical figures, actual events and fictional elements. Walks through the city of Patras and the appearance of other characters may enrich the dramatic development.

The three selected plays are expected to be presented in Patras as staged readings.

Suggested Characters

C. P. Cavafy · Alexandros (his brother) · Iliopoulos (Thomas Cook’s interpreter in Patras) · Two English Roman Catholic priests · Papaioannou (a tailor from Patras) · Prince Nicholas · Spyridon Peresiadis · Aspasia Peresiadi (his sister).

The choice of characters, as well as the inclusion of additional characters, is left to the discretion of the playwrights.

From Cavafy’s Travel Diary

“The Hôtel de Patras, where we stayed, is exceptionally clean, comfortably furnished and has a good kitchen. At 9 a.m. we went for a walk with Alexandros. We saw Georgiou Square [...] The district called Psila Alonia is clean and pleasant and offers a picturesque view…”

Sources: Cavafy Archive / Onassis Foundation (cavafy.onassis.org). C. P. Cavafy, My First Journey to Greece (13 June – 5 August 1901), translated into Greek by Haris Vlavianos, Patakis Publishers, 2024. [Diary excerpt translated into English from the Greek text reproduced in this call.]

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

01. Eligibility

The competition is open to playwrights from Greece and abroad, regardless of age, professional status or previous theatrical experience, submitting an original play in accordance with the terms and conditions of this call for entries.

Participation is free of charge. Each entrant may submit only one play.

02. Language of the Plays

The competition accepts plays originally written in Greek, as well as plays originally written in other languages, provided that they are submitted in Greek translation. The translation may be undertaken by the playwright or by a third party, under the entrant’s responsibility and subject to the necessary rights and permissions being secured.

All submissions will be evaluated exclusively on the basis of the Greek-language text submitted.

03. Theme and Nature of the Plays

Submitted plays must take as their dramatic starting point the imagined encounter between Spyridon Peresiadis and C. P. Cavafy in Patras in 1901, as described in the thematic introduction to this call.

Playwrights are free to choose the form, style, structure and theatrical genre of their work and to draw on real or fictional characters and events.

A faithful historical reconstruction is not required. Priority will be given to originality of dramatic conception and the theatrical merit of the text.

04. Originality

Plays must be original, unpublished and not previously presented in a public theatrical performance.

Translations, adaptations of works by other authors and texts infringing intellectual property rights will not be accepted.

Entrants are responsible for ensuring the originality of their submitted works.

05. Format and Submission

Plays must be submitted electronically in PDF format, using Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri, 12-point type, in black.

The cover page must contain only the title of the play and the author’s pseudonym. No information revealing the entrant’s real identity may appear.

Submissions must be made by email by 30 June 2027, in accordance with the submission instructions to be announced by the organiser, ARS ANIMA.

Plays must be sent to: golfoproject@gmail.com

06. Anonymity and Supporting Documents

Plays will be evaluated anonymously.

Each submission must be accompanied by a separate information file containing the author’s full name, pseudonym, title of the play, email address and contact telephone number.

An electronic statutory declaration issued through the Single Digital Portal of the Greek State (gov.gr) is also required, containing the following statement:
“I solemnly declare that the play entitled ........................................................, which I am submitting to the 2nd Playwriting Competition ‘Spyridon Peresiadis’ 2027, is my own original intellectual creation, has not been published or presented in a public theatrical performance, and does not infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties. I further declare that I have read and unreservedly accept all the terms of this call for entries.”
The statutory declaration must be submitted as a separate PDF file together with the entrant’s personal details and will not be forwarded to the Jury.

07. Jury and Evaluation

The plays will be evaluated by a Jury comprising individuals with recognised expertise in playwriting, dramaturgy and theatrical practice.

The main evaluation criteria are originality, dramatic structure, character development, the quality of the theatrical language and suitability for stage performance.

The Jury will select the three best plays and record the reasons for its decisions.

08. Awards and Staged Presentation

The results will be announced on 1 September 2027.

The awards ceremony will take place on 12 September 2027 in Mesorrougi, Achaia, the birthplace of Spyridon Peresiadis.

Efforts will be made to present the three award-winning plays in Patras in December 2027, performed by students from three highly regarded drama schools, as part of the 4th Golfo Festival.

09. Copyright

Participation in the competition does not entail any transfer of intellectual property or economic rights to the organiser.

Any public performance, publication, audio recording or audiovisual use of the award-winning plays shall require a separate agreement with their authors, clearly specifying the relevant terms.

10. Acceptance of Terms

Submission of a play constitutes acceptance of the terms of this call for entries.

The organiser reserves the right to disqualify any entry that fails to meet the stated requirements.

ARS ANIMA – GOLFO FESTIVAL