Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does the workshop program fee include? What expenses do I have to cover on my own?
The program fee covers your lodging for the duration of the program, ground transportation, mandatory travel insurance, generative workshops, evening literary salons, the Greek language and culture course, off-site group excursions, and several group meals. Depending on your arrival, we can usually arrange airport transfers to and from the airport at no charge.
All participants pay for their own airfare to and from Greece.
Breakfast is included. Beyond that, participants are responsible for their own meals and drinks. Past participants have suggested bringing an additional $600-$1,000 for food and drinks for the month.
Q: What does the resident program fee include? What expenses do I have to cover on my own?
The resident program fee covers your lodging for the duration of the program, ground transportation, mandatory travel insurance, evening literary salons, the Greek language and culture course, off-site group excursions, and several group meals. Depending on your arrival, we can usually arrange airport transfers to and from the airport at no charge.
All participants pay for their own airfare to and from Greece.
Breakfast is included. Beyond that, residents are responsible for their own meals and drinks. Past residents have suggested bringing an additional $600-$1,000 for food and drinks for the month.
Q: What is your refund policy?
Of the first deposit, $500 is nonrefundable. After you have paid in full, no refunds are possible.
If we must cancel the program for any reason, then we will issue a refund of whatever program fees you have paid, including your $500 nonrefundable deposit.
Q: Do we travel from the U.S. to Greece in one big group? Do I need a visa to enter Greece? What are the Covid protocols for entering Greece?
No. Each participant arranges their own travel to and from Greece and is also responsible for securing a passport and any necessary visas (U.S. citizens do not require a visa to enter Greece).
As of May 1, 2022, and for as long as the epidemiological data allow so, all travelers arriving in Greece, regardless of their country of origin, are no longer required to display a valid certificate of vaccination or recovery from COVID-19, or evidence of a negative test result from SARS-CoV-2 infection (PCR or Rapid Antigen test). Please check the latest travel guidelines for updated requirements.
As of 15 March 2022, travelers visiting Greece are no longer required to fill out the Passenger Locator Form (PLF).However, a simplified PLF remains in operation, the completion of which is OPTIONAL, for the sole purpose of enabling the traveler / family to issue an EU Certificate of negative or positive COVID-19 test result. You may want to fill out the PLF in order to make sure you can get appropriate test results for reentry into the your home country.
Out of courtesy to your writing community, we encourage you to take a Rapid Antigen test prior to your departure.
During their stay in Greece, foreign visitors must follow all measures that apply to Greek citizens. Masks are Required in Limited Spaces: Face masks are no longer required in most indoor spaces in Greece, including restaurants, schools, museums, and most businesses. Masks are not required on planes or intercity public transport, where the seats of the passengers are numbered. Masks are still required in healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and nursing homes. Masks are also required on taxis and urban public transport (metro, electric railway, buses, trolleybuses, trams), as well as ferries. Please be respectful of others and the choices they make for themselves to travel and work safely and comfortably. If someone asks you to wear a mask in their presence, please do so out of consideration and courtesy.
Q: What are your Covid Protocols?
Greece enjoys a relatively high vaccination rate (currently 71.1% of the country’s eligible population), though it does vary some from region to region. WWIG follows all protocols issued by the Greek government (see above). At the time of travel, participants will be required to follow all regulations provided by airlines and any other countries visited in transit. WWIG will require proof of vaccination from all participants.
Most (if not all) of our workshop activities take place outdoors. We will require participants to follow all local regulations pertaining to vaccination, physical distancing, and face-coverings. Greek government regulations are subject to change and we will adjust our policies in accordance with those regulations.
In Greece, self-test are inexpensive (five euros each) and easy to find at local pharmacies. You can also purchase a Rapid-Antigen Test at most pharmacies for less than fifteen euros. You will have results in fifteen minutes with official documentation, and this test is appropriate for travel returning to the US.
Q: How do we get from the city of Thessaloniki to the island of Thasos?
All participants will ride on a large motor coach from Thessaloniki to the coastal town of Keramoti, where the bus will ride (along with us) on a ferry to the island of Thasos. The ferry ride is short – about thirty minutes one way. The bus will deliver us to the southern town of Alyki, where we’ll stay for the duration of our time on Thasos.
Q: What should I know about our accommodations on Thasos?
A majority of the cohort will stay in rooms at Pension Archodissa, where there is also a restaurant (and a view of the whole peninsula) and some night life.
The rooms there are simple: single beds, a dresser and wardrobe, a mini-fridge, a small table, and a small bathroom with a shower.
The remainder of the cohort, as well as the faculty, will stay a short walk from Pension Archodissa in small apartments with kitchenettes.
Please note that there are a limited number of single rooms available on Thasos. Shared occupancy rooms are either double or triple accommodation.
Q: How do I sign up for the class in Greek language and culture taught? Can I take that in addition to my workshop?
Yes, the Greek course is designed as a complement to the writing courses, one which allows writers to make the most of their stay in a place so different from their homes. You sign up at the same time you register. If you aren’t sure you’ll want to attend every class, you are free to attend in the beginning and then bow out. Some students simply want to get the alphabet down, whereas others are able to devote an hour a day for the duration of the program. Participants are encouraged to do what is best for them and their writing project.
Q: Is there wireless available at the hotel?
Hotel El Greco in Thessaloniki has fast and reliable wireless. On the island, where things are considerably more rustic, wireless is available on the patio at Pension Archodissa, but patience with the easily overloaded system is sometimes required. Logging off the wi-fi completely when you are not using it will help keep the headaches to a minimum. Additional hot-spots can be found around the island at cafes and restaurants.
Q: What should I know about the workshop sessions and evening literary salons?
Our workshops are meant to help you generate new work. Faculty will take turns offering prompts and generative exercises that inspire responses in your genre of choice, encouraging experimentation and engagement with our island surroundings. The evening literary salons might include readings by faculty and visiting writers, round-table discussions on matters or craft or revision, or Q&A sessions with faculty. Toward the end of each two-week session, each participant will have a chance to discuss work they have produced in short conferences with two faculty members.
Q: What does the private manuscript consultation include?
Our hour-long private manuscript consultation are an additional $250. Unless you request a specific faculty member for your consultation, we try to pair you with the person who might be able to offer you the most assistance. All of our faculty write in multiple genres.
We typically offer an option between two types of consultation, depending on your needs: a longer swath of material (no more than fifty pages of double-spaced prose or thirty pages of poetry) for more general, global comments and impressions; or a shorter piece (no more than ten pages of double spaced prose or five short poems or a single long poem) for detailed comments and line-edits. If your interests for the manuscript consultation to not coincide with these descriptions, feel free to inquire with specific requests in advance.
Q: What kind of sightseeing is available at the location? How can I explore the island?
Your program fee includes several organized off-site excursions:
1) a day trip to Thasos Town (Limenas) where you can tour the expansive archaeological ruins and excellent museum and enjoy lunch and shopping on the harbor.
2) a visit to the inland village of Theologos with its folklore museum and sandal shopping. On the return from Theologos, we will stop in the coastal town of Potos for supplies, and then make a visit to the Archangelos Monastery.
In addition to those organized excursions, you will have plenty of free time to explore the island on your own.
A public bus runs around the island a few times each day. Rental cars are available for about $25 a day, though you must be twenty five years of age in order to rent one (and an International Driver’s license, easy to get through AAA, makes renting a car easier).
The island offers many opportunities for archaeology, hiking, swimming, and spiritual exploration. In addition to many beaches scattered along the coast, there is the remote “Yiola” (a.k.a. the Blue Hole), a stunning natural salt-water pool.
Q: Are there options for sightseeing in addition to the island of Thasos?
Back on the mainland, the port-city of Kavala offers a glimpse of urban life in Thrace, not to mention the extensive Greco-Roman ruins of the city of Phillipi. The Kavala airport connects to Athens with a short flight, not to mention several other European cities. The bus running from Thessaloniki to Istanbul stops in Kavala en route, making it possible to visit Turkey for a long weekend.
Q: I’ve heard there are many opportunities for action and adventuring on Thasos. What kind of equipment do you recommend for that?
There are three beaches within the immediate vicinity of our accommodations and the island boasts hundreds more. Beach shoes, flip flops, sun block, snorkelling and swimming gear are highly recommended. Beach towels are not provided. We also suggest that participants bring a good pair of tennis shoes for some of the lovely (but completely voluntary) long walks we take as a group.
Q: What else should I pack?
A passport, a swimsuit, and your writing gear. That pretty much sums it up.
In truth, you should plan to bring much less that you might be tempted to bring. Our recommendation is a small rolling duffel (there will be some schlepping of your bag, so you want to bring something you are comfortable hauling around). Either way, do not overpack.
A sample packing list is at the bottom of this page.
Q: Will I be able to buy supplies on the island? Are there places to shop for food and go out to eat nearby? Is there an ATM?
The Alyki peninsula is rather remote. By day, some tourists arrive from other corners of the island to invade one of our three beaches. Otherwise it’s pretty quiet.
In addition to the restaurant at Pension Archodissa, there’s a line of restaurants along that beach, including several places with wi-fi. There is also a mini-market there for basic supplies: beer and wine, cheese, basic dry goods, and even fresh pastries and cheese pies in the morning. The cheapest lunch option is the gyros and souvlaki “snack bar” on the second beach, where you can feed yourself for about five dollars. There is no ATM machine in Alyki.
During group excursions, you will have the opportunity to make visit the ATM and stock up on supplies at the supermarket.
Packing List
Necessary Identification & Financial Information:
- Passport (bring an extra photocopy of your passport as well— we recommend emailing yourself a photo of it)
- Covid Vaccination Cards with booster (you will need to save a copy of this on your phone as well)
- ATM card with PIN numbers (note: the English letters may not appear on Greek keypads, so be sure you know what the corresponding numbers are! Call your bank before departure to confirm that your ATM card will work overseas & to notify them that you’ll be using yours there so they don’t assume it’s been stolen)
- Student I.D. card (may get you discounts)
- List of all credit card numbers & cancellation information (in case of loss or theft), one to bring with you and one to leave with someone at home.
- Some spending money in euros: don’t carry more than 200 euros at any time. Use your ATM card when you need more—you’ll get the best and most current exchange rates that way)
Clothing:
- Jeans: 1 pair
- Other pants (something slightly dressier–khakis, capris, whatever…): 1 pair
- Shorts: 2 pair
- Swimsuit: 1 or 2
- Light jacket (fleece, or waterproof windbreaker)
- Sweater (for at night….cotton): 1
- Short-Sleeve Shirts: 1 or 2
- T-Shirts: 4-5
- Long-Sleeve Shirt: 1
- Underwear & Socks: one week’s supply (to be re-washed)
- A hat (to protect you from sun)
- Dresses: 3-5 sundresses
- Skirts: 2-3 (a long skirt will protect your legs from mosquitoes)
- Beach cover ups: 2
Women may want to bring a long dress or skirt, which is required when visiting monasteries and churches.
Shoes:
- Sneakers or Hiking Shoes (good tread, lightweight)
- Sandals (sturdy & comfortable enough for city walking)
- “Tevas” or Flip-Flops (something that can get wet)
Toiletries & Medicines: all the usual
There is a small mini-market with some very basic toiletries, in case you run out. Make sure to pack all necessary medicines in your carry-on luggage.
We also recommend that you bring N95 or KN95 masks with you for your return travel, and surgical masks for visiting indoor locations. You can also purchase these in Greece from pharmacies.
Other things:
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen (you can buy sunscreen in Greece, but it is quite expensive)
- Flashlight for navigating the goat path at night
- Beach towel or sheet (something you can fold very small & something that will dry quickly in the sun; if you want to save space, you can purchase an inexpensive beach towel at the mini market)
- A light backpack (as your carry on; for use at the beach & for day-tripping)
- Blank journal book & lots of pens
Optional items:
- Guide Book for Greece (the best are: The Rough Guide, Lonely Planet, Let’s Go)
- Mask/Snorkel/Fins/Wetsuit
- Rain jacket/poncho
- First-Aid stuff
Things NOT to Bring:
- A hair-dryer or curling iron (note: if you plan to bring one, you’ll also need a European voltage adapter, but there’s still a good chance it will burn out in about 30 seconds) — Note: There are hairdryers in the rooms.
- Illegal/Controlled substances
- Valuable jewelry, watches, expensive cameras
- Travelers’ checks: they are sometimes hard to use in Greece and you’ll lose a lot of money using them
- …ANYTHING you’d be devastated to lose or to have stolen!
