NYT Event at Costa Navarino Links Democracy with Books

The speakers of Democracy & Books Weekend at Costa Navarino.

Prominent personalities from the fields of politics, literature and the media recently gathered at the Costa Navarino resort, in Messinia in the Peloponnese, to participate in the Democracy & Books Weekend.

Nexus Institute founder and author Rob Riemen

Co-organized for the fourth consecutive year by the New York Times (NYT) Democracy Forum, the event took place on September 14-15, on the occasion of Athens’ role as World Book Capital for 2018.

The role of books in democracy was once again put in the spotlight. “One of the most striking things happening in politics in America and across the world, is the central role that books are still playing. Democracy is about trying to win a series of arguments against power, all the way from the parliament assembly into literature, going back to the origins of democracy in Athens,” said NYT President and CEO Mark Thompson during the event.

Among the participants of the weekend event were author and philosopher Pascal Bruckner; author, environmentalist and former MEP Stanley Johnson; Nexus Institute founder and author Rob Riemen; author and member of the NYT editorial board Serge Schmemann and Bloomsbury Group Editor in Chief Alexandra Pringle.

The main discussion of the weekend event was complemented by a reading from Pascal Bruckner from his latest book “An Imaginary Racism: Islamophobia and Guilt”, and a workshop led by Alexandra Pringle around “How Publishing Works” and how a book goes through the various stages from manuscript to bookstore, encouraging further interaction with the speakers.

“We are honored to host the Democracy & Books weekend at Costa Navarino… This is a timely conversation taking place in a period when democracy is confronted with significant challenges globally,” said Stefanos Theodorides, vice president and CEO of TEMES, the developer of Costa Navarino.

Bloomsbury Group Editor in Chief Alexandra Pringle

“We are very happy that the event is taking place in Messinia, a region rich in history and culture, which has – through the ages – become a source of inspiration for writers and poets from all over the world,” he added.

The participants and attendees who selected The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino for their stay, were able to participate in authentic cultural experiences including philosophy walks in the Messinian countryside and guided tours to the exhibition “When Pictures Paint a Thousand Words”, which features illustrations by renowned Greek artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas.