Exploring the island as topos in literature: the example of Alexandros Papadiamantis and the island of Skiathos

CIVIS focus area: Society, culture, heritage
Open to: Bachelor's

Master's

Phd
Field of studies: Environment & Agriculture

Social Science and humanities

Environmental sciences, Urbanism, Geography
Type: Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)
Course dates: 16 March - 29 May 2026
Apply by: 30 octobre 2025 Apply now

This Civis BIP is designed to investigate the literary significance of islands, particularly focusing on how insular landscapes function as both physical spaces and rich symbols within literature.

Using the works of 19th-century Greek author Alexandros Papadiamantis, especially his portrayals of Skiathos, the programme delves into themes such as identity, exile, utopia, cultural heritage, and memory. The course also situates these discussions in a broader Mediterranean and Western literary context, drawing from Homer’s Odyssey, Nikos Kazantzakis’ Cretan writings, and other Greek, Italian, English, and Spanish texts.

^{Educational trip on Skiathos Island, May 2022}

The programme is structured into two parts: an online theoretical module and a hands-on, in-person experience on the island of Skiathos. The online segment provides students with foundational knowledge through lectures and literary analysis. The on-site module brings the texts to life by engaging students with the landscapes and heritage sites that inspired Papadiamantis, including visits to his home, local churches, and monasteries.

These activities are complemented by workshops and seminars focusing on the literary interpretation of space, gender roles, tradition, religion, and environmental motifs, encouraging students to analyze how setting influences narrative. Students complete the programme by creating a portfolio and reflective essay, allowing them to synthesize theory with their lived experiences. Additional creative tasks, such as producing literary or visual works, and film screenings enhance the exploration of literature’s relationship with place.

Textual resources include ancient to contemporary works, from Homer to modern authors like Margaret Atwood, and the course applies interdisciplinary approaches drawn from literature, history, religious studies, education, and gender studies. Delivered in multiple languages, with English as the main medium, the programme emphasizes multilingual, intercultural, and cross-disciplinary learning, in partnership with universities in Athens, Madrid, and Rome.

Main topics addressed

the relationship between island and literature;
place in literature (depiction, psychogeography, society);
the literature of Alexandros Papadiamantis;
mediterranean literature in general, with a focus on Greek (Ancient to Modern), Spanish and Italian, and Ibero-American and American literature;
closed island societies, social issues and gender as depicted in literature;
literature and environment, and man and environment.

Learning outcomes

The programme is related to almost all CIVIS themes:

Hub 2 – “Society, culture, heritage” - mainly;
Hub 1 – “Climate, environment and energy” & Hub 4 – “Cities, spaces and mobilities” - secondary;
Hub 5 – “Digital and Technological transformation” - in a measure.

Regarding the relationship with Hub 2, students will find themselves at the core of studies on Society, Culture, and Heritage, examining the literary expression across a broad historical timeframe, directly relating it to the world, culture, locality, and the shaping of consciousness and personalities.

Concerning the relationship with Hub 1, by focusing on the Island in literature, students will explore the relationship between humans and their environment: how the environment influences one's psyche, shapes culture, and connects to memory and individual identity. Consequently, this fosters a sense of studying and protecting the environment not only for practical living reasons but also for preserving cultural identity.

Regarding the relationship with Hub 4, the programme examines the concept of place in literature, and, by extension, the impact of permanent settlement and mobility on the human psyche. Migration, displacement, exile, and relocation, both in literal and metaphorical terms, are explored within the programme through their literary representations.

Finally, students will gain knowledge related to Hub 5 in the in-person part of the programme on the island of Skiathos, where they will see how new digital media (e.g., digitizing texts, interactive digital tours of sites of interest, etc.) are utilized to preserve both the heritage of Alexandros Papadiamantis and other cultural treasures (such as sites of interest, monuments, museums, etc.).

From a professional standpoint, completing the programme can be a competitive advantage for graduates in the Humanities fields, due to its holistic approach to the subject, multilingualism, direct engagement with the local community, and the use of innovative approaches in the study of literature and its theory.

Dates: 16 March - 29 May 2026	Total workload: 68 hours
Format: Blended	ECTS: 3*
Location: Skiathos Island, Greece	Language: English (C1), Greek, Italian, Spanish
Contact: kkefalea@soctheol.uoa.gr

^{*recognition of ECTS depends on your home university}

Physical mobility

The physical mobility section of the BIP will take place between 25-29 May 2026, on the Skiathos Island, Greece

Day 1: visit to the Evangelistria Monastery, guided tour of the Monastery’s Museum, and readings of Alexandros Papadiamantis’ texts with references to the Monastery. A welcoming dinner hosted by the Mayor of Skiathos for the students. Discussion on strengthening the cultural identity of the local community, including an examination of its challenges.
Day 2: a sea tour (by boat) around the island, showcasing locations mentioned in Papadiamantis’ literary works and readings of excerpts onboard. Stops at key locations with presentations by academic participants. Visit to the Kastro (Castle) of Skiathos, guided tour, readings of literary texts, and academic presentations.
Day 3: visit to the cemetery of Skiathos with readings of relevant literary excerpts; visit to Plakes Beach and readings of related literary works; outdoor lecture; visit and guided tour of the Papadiamantis House Museum; visit to the Bourtzi Theater to attend a short theatrical performance inspired by Papadiamantis' works, followed by a brief lecture and discussion.
Day 4: tour of the Skiathos market; meeting with the island’s authorities and representatives of the local community, who will deliver short speeches to the students on their perception of cultural identity today, as well as the impact of climate change and tourism on it; visit and guided tour of the Zisis Oikonomou Museum, accompanied by a lecture; guidance for students and discussion on the material (texts, photos, videos, etc.) they have collected so far.
Day 5: short lecture summarizing conclusions; collaborative work between students and instructors on the programme portfolio; farewell dinner with the participation of the island’s authorities.

It is noted that, since the physical component of the programme largely involves travel, outdoor lectures, and tours in natural landscapes, the schedule may be modified if required due to weather conditions or potential cultural events organized by the local community (e.g., theatrical performances, dances, etc.), which instructors may integrate into the programme to enhance the students' knowledge and deepen their familiarity with the island and its inhabitants.

Virtual part

The online part of the course will run between 16-27 March 2026:

day 1 - Introductory lecture (3 h)
day 2 - Recorded lecture + Bibliography study (4 h total)
day 3 - Lecture (3 h)
day 4 - Bibliography study (3 h)
day 5 - Lecture (3 h)
day 6 - Bibliography study (3 h)
day 7 - Final lecture (3 h)
day 8 - Q&A (2 h)
day 9 - Assignment presentations (3 h)
day 10 - Assignment presentations / Conclusions (3 h)

Assessment

The programme relies heavily on the hands-on and experiential participation of students.

Firstly, aiming to create a set of textual material, which will remain even after the completion of the programme, students will be asked for two essays, one at the end of the virtual component and one at the end of the physical component, which will concern: a ) the reception of the studied literary texts and their creative interpretation (virtual component), b) their conclusions from the tour of Skiathos, conclusions about the relationship between literature, personal experiences and the environment, as well as ideas for strengthening the cultural identity of local societies (physical component).
Secondly, the programme will utilize digital tools and multimedia technologies, to create a portfolio (after the end of the physical component), which will include: storytelling, amateur videos, student testimonies and photographic material from locations inextricably linked to the literary texts that were studied. It is emphasized that, as far as videos and photos are concerned, written consent will be obtained from the students who wish to appear in them. Students who do not wish to appear in videos and photographs will be assigned assignments that focus on textual material.

In this way, students will practice both the traditional educational process (text production) and innovative educational methods (storytelling, videos, photos), based on experiential learning.

The aim of this methodological combination is twofold:

first, it concerns the renewal of ways of studying literature and its theory (beyond the trivial method of silently studying literary works and writing standard academic essays), with a focus on experiential intake, openness and the direct connection between literature and people/daily life/society;
secondly, it concerns the triggering of the interest of the students, enhancing their teamwork skills and creativity, providing them with knowledge on the use of new and popular technologies in academic research.

The programme is open to students at CIVIS member universities from all academic levels (Bachelor, Master, PhD). Although it will emphasize students from related fields of knowledge, it will however not exclude students from other fields, if there is a proven interest in the subject of the program (e.g. academic papers and publications related to literature, the relationship between the natural environment and society, etc.).

Any broader interest in social service and volunteering will be considered positively, as will familiarity with new technologies. A basic requirement is a good knowledge of the English language, both written and spoken, while knowledge (even partial) of Greek and/or Spanish and/or Italian will be considered very positive.

Also, by the time of application, the students will:

have acquired sufficient knowledge of the literature and culture of Mediterranean peoples,
be able to approach a literary text and study it in depth,
make connections between literature and the world around them, reading literature experientially while engaging with the world on a deeper level,
have been exposed to various languages, enhancing their linguistic and communication skills,
have broadened their perspectives on the relationship between literature and seemingly unrelated fields, such as the environment or new technologies.

This CIVIS course is a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) - a new format of Erasmus+ mobility which combines online teaching with a short trip to another campus to learn alongside students and professors across Europe.

NB: Visiting Students - Erasmus Funding Eligibility

To be eligible for your selected CIVIS programme, you must be a fully enrolled student at your CIVIS home university at the time you will be undertaking the programme.

This course is also open to students with the same academic profile, who are enrolled at a CIVIS strategic partner university in Africa. Please check here, if you can apply and this particular course is open to applications from your university. Successful applicants will receive an Erasmus+ grant covering travel and subsistence costs during their stay. Applicants should be willing to extend their stay at the host university for 1-3 weeks for additional research and/or training purposes.

Partner universities:

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
Sapienza Università di Roma (Italia)
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Université de Sfax (Tunisia)

Professors

Kirki Kefalea, Professor of Comparative Literature at the Department of Social Theology and the Study of Religion, School of Theology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Coordinator of European and International Programmes; Hub 2 Co-Chair, Society, Culture, and Heritage (SCH), CIVIS;
Helena González-Vaquerizo, PhD in Classical Philology from the Autonomous University of Madrid; Professor in the Department of Classical Philology at the Autonomous University of Madrid;
Christos Bintoudis, Associate Professor of Modern Greek Language and Literature at the Sapienza University of Rome;
Alexandra-Katerina Bacopoulos-Viau, Clinical Assistant Professor of History in Psychiatry at Weill Cornell’s Department of Psychiatry (NYC);
Despina Kranioti is a graduate of the Department of Philology at the School of Philosophy of the University of Ioannin;
Angeliki Korre is a PhD candidate in the Department of Social Theology & Religious Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), and holds a Master's degree in Comparative Religious Literature, and in Philosophy.

Send your application by filling in the online application form by 30 October 2025, and also including

CV,
Level of english (According to CEFR).

Aplications will be evaluated based on:

good knowledge of English - mandatory;
knowledge of Greek and/or Spanish and/or Italian - desirable;
relevance to related subjects - desirable;
familiarity with new technologies and social media - optional.

Apply now

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