Sofka Zinovieff: Reading Greece, An Interview

READING GREECE: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE GREEK EMBASSY, LONDON


Q. "In the fictional work, The House on Paradise Street, Maud, an English woman -married to a Greek man- tries to fit into Greek society, but feels that she will always be a xeni (foreigner), “an awkward hybrid who belonged nowhere”. What are the perks of being an outsider, of belonging nowhere?"

A. "I have felt an outsider ever since I was a child in England, so it’s something I have built into my character already. I find being an outsider in Greece an excellent way of living – I’m rather a different person to Maud! I’m enough of an insider in Greece to have friends, family and a way of life I love, but I don’t need to engage with some of the more painful aspects of being Greek and can step back from the fray".

Speaking on a similar theme, Sofka also participated in the Corfu Literary Festival:

Three Anglo-Hellenic Families – Three Books, Sofka Zinovieff in Conversation  (Corfu Public Library, Old Fortress, September 24th).