Scattered off the west coast of mainland Greece are the seven Ionian Islands, celebrated for their spectacular landscapes, olive groves and classical associations. Together with the mountainous mainland region of Epirus, the combined populations of Corfu, Paxos, Lefkas, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Kythira constitute less than a twentieth of the population of Greece, yet they have made a huge contribution to the culture of the country, before and since becoming part of the Greek state. The unsurpassed beauty of the islands and of the Pindus Mountains has stimulated the imagination of countless writers and artists from Homer to Byron, Edward Lear and the Durrells, Louis de Bernières and Nicholas Gage, as well as scores of nineteenth-century travellers.
Drawing a mosaic portrait of the Ionian Islands and special places of interest in Epirus, Corfu resident Jim Potts focuses on the landscapes, legends, traditions and historical events that have appealed most strongly to the imaginations of writers, residents and travellers.
This book reveals the extraordinary cultural legacy of this beautiful part of the world.
ODYSSEUS AND SAPPHO: the landscapes of the poets; Homer’s Ithaca and Scheria; Sappho’s leap; the identification of Dodona; classic ground; King Pyrrhus.
THE SEVEN ISLANDS: Strategic issues; Corfu V. Kefalonia; Byron and Casanova; Empress Elizabeth of Austria; Greek writers, Solomos, Laskaratos, Theotokis and Valaoritis.
TURKEY, VENICE, BRITAIN, GREECE: conflict and occupation; union and liberation; the Second World War and civil war; nationalism and identity; cultural differences.
JIM POTTS is the author of Corfu Blues, and co-editor of Swedish Reflections, from Beowulf to Bergman. He worked for The British Council for 35 years in many countries. He now splits his time between Corfu, Epirus and the UK.

The event will take place in the historic setting of Lord’s cricket ground in London, in association with the Hellenic Cricket Federation, on Tuesday 10th November 2009, at 7:00. Guests will include journalists from the fields of sport and tourism, players and opinion-formers from the world of cricket.
In the Long Room at the home of cricket the programme for the International Cricket Festival will be presented. The Festival will take place in Corfu, in Kefalonia and in Zakynthos during the months of May, June, September and October. The aim is to establish the Festival on a regular basis, to develop theme-based tourism and to extend the touristic period. Fundamentally, the Festival hopes to spread the spirit of cricket – as expressed in the motto ‘Catch the Spirit’, marking the centenary of the International Cricket Council.
Personal appearances by famous cricketers, the participation of children from all over the world in a spirit of comradeship and equal opportunities, presentations of the history of the game, fans joining in and competing – all these elements will coexist in the ideal location: Corfu – the centre-point of the Festival. Corfu, which connects culturally the West with the East, whose history reflects that of modern Europe, provides the ideal environment for this four month long celebration.
The Ionian Inspires event is held in cooperation with the Greek National Tourist Organisation and the International Cricket Council.

“Ionian Concerts” enters its fifth year in an optimistic mood – asserting that, in the face of economic crisis, “music is in our nature”: that the music in our Corfiot nature can turn our spirits around, even under the most difficult conditions.
This year, the “Ionian Concerts” have managed to create a cultural mosaic that both supports local traditions, and welcomes international artists and musicians, in the long tradition of hospitality here in the Ionian Islands.
The Ionian University, the Prefecture of Corfu, the Municipality of Corfu, the Chamber of Commerce, the Philharmonic Bands of the island and the Association of Choirs have joined forces for the first time with the full support of the Region of the Ionian Islands and the participation of the Ministry of Culture and the Greek National Tourism Organisation to organise the best Festival that Corfu has ever experienced.
International artists will meet this Summer in Corfu, including the legendary Eric Burdon with the Animals, the outstanding Japanese pianist Hideyo Harada, the new big talent of American jazz JD Walter, the trombonist Jeff Freedman, the amazing Indian dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant, the Thai ethnic jazz band Pomelo Town, the big band from Germany Backnang and many other acknowledged artists from different sides of the world.
From the Greek side we feature well known artists such as Lambis Vassiliadis, Dimos Dimitriadis, the Melos Brass, Vasilis Rakopoulos, George Kontrafouris, the Valkani Brothers Florina Band - the best Balkan traditional band – the Corfiot classic composer George Katsaros, with the Symphonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Athens and the great folk composer Christos Nikolopoulos.
The whole series of “Ionian Concerts” consists of thirty five musical events, of remarkable quality that will impress the demanding listener, refresh the visitor and spread the perfume of sound around the city and the villages of Corfu.

First to visit Louis de Bernières, who the organisers will host next summer in Corfu and they even invited him to participate in the festival "Ionian Concerts" playing the mandolin in a special show (for those who do not know Louis de Bernieres plays flute, mandolin and guitar and he is member of the group "the Antonius Players").