Meet Erato Ioannou - SWF22 First 5 Pages Historical Fiction Genre Winner
Erato Iaonnou historical fiction genre winner in the SWF22 First Five Pages Prize.
If you’d like to connect with Erato or follow and support her work then here are the platforms on which you can find him:
Websites: www.eratoioannou.com and www.roomforart.eu
Facebook: @Erato Ioannou
Instagram: @Erato Ioannou
LinkedIn: Erato Ioannou
Inspired by her life and work in Nicosia, the last divided city in Europe, Erato Ioannou, has a way with words, whether it be in her native Greek, or English. Erato is the winner of the Historical Fiction Genre in our SWF22 First Five Pages Prize.
We had the great pleasure of meeting Erato at last year's festival here in Stockholm, and we were eager to get her impressions of the festival experience, as well as find out how winning the the genre prize has impacted her writing.
And just a reminder, the Stockholm Writers Festival 2023 First 5 Pages Prize opened on January 2nd, 2023 and will close for submissions on Sunday, March 12th, 2023. Be sure to enter with your first five pages and secure your chance to win $1,000 USD, a weekend stay in an elegant Stockholm hotel, a full festival pass, and an agent pitch session!
First of all, congratulations on your win! What an absolute thrill it was for us to see the sheer number of quality entries for the SWF22 First 5 Pages Prize, and then for us to finally get the results of the top five genre winners, and the grand prize winner was incredibly exciting. We’re really interested to find out how it impacted you, and your writing. So, let’s start there: How did you feel after submitting your first five pages and officially entering into the contest?
I am very selective as to where I submit my work. But, when I came across the SWF22 First 5 Pages Prize I somehow had a gut feeling about it. I remember telling my husband: “I’ll submit to this contest.” He said, “Go for it!” and so I did. I had no expectations. I’ve trained myself to have no expectations when I submit. I just send my work out there and I forget about it. It’s a way to deal with the prospect of rejection and writers need to have a thick skin about it. So I submitted and I forgot about it.
During the judging period, were you feeling confident, or were you plagued with doubts?
There are so many talented writers out there and so many extraordinary and well-written manuscripts. Some will make it through the Scylla and Charybdis to the printing press and reach their readers. Some others will remain unaccounted for. I am a very austere critic of my work and I send it out only when I feel it’s worthy, but as I said, I didn’t keep my hopes high.
Catherine Pettersson and Erato Ioannou at the Stockholm Writers Festival Award Ceremony
What went through your mind once the long and shortlists were announced, and your entry was included?
It’s a funny story, really! It was another day at the office when I received the following on messenger from a writer friend in the UK “I've just seen that we are both on the Stockholm Writers Longlist! Congrats!” I closed the office door. I cried a little. Of course, once this jumble of feelings settled down I celebrated the longlisting. That alone was a big step for me –to be distinguished in an international and very competitive contest. It was only when the shortlist was announced that I started to think “Is it possible?”
Finally, when the prize winners were announced, how did you learn the news, and what was your initial reaction?
I was overseas taking part in an arts workshop. I was doing pyrography on wood and to be more specific I was drawing a spiral, which is a dominant and recurring symbol in my novel. A friend in the group asked what the symbol signified. We talked a little bit about it and a little about the novel. The email came only seconds after this. This is not fiction! I swear! I walked out of the room and sent a screen-shot of the mail to my husband.
How did you come up with the idea for the piece you submitted?
I live and work in Nicosia, the last divided city in Europe. The division line is a wound gushing across the town. A no-man’s land across an otherwise vibrant town. It’s surreal. Isn’t it. Can you imagine living there? Right on the threshold between life and idleness? My novel can take you there.
What inspires you in your writing?
I am alert and observant. Inspiration lurks in the shadows. It disguises itself into a small and seemingly insignificant detail. My writing process is all about magnifying that detail. Telling the story around it.
This competition is tough, because it comes down to grabbing the judges attention within those first five pages, and that means top-notch writing and editing - can you talk about your editing and revision process?
Erato Ioannous and SWF founder and president Catherine Pettersson sharing a warm moment after Erato received the SWF2022 Historical Fiction Genre Prize at the Stockholm Writers Festival in August of 2022.
The ideal writing process, especially when you’re writing a novel is of course to have an outline first and then you take it from there. My process is somewhat unorthodox in that way since I get down to writing without a specific architectural plan. I get down to writing the actual thing –which kind of reflects my personality as I am spontaneous and passionate. With passion and devotion, I chisel and chisel that amorphous chunk of marble to find my statue. It’s a journey. Once the first draft is finished, however, I become a very harsh critic. I kill my darlings without remorse.
How has winning this prize and the recognition from the Stockholm Writers Festival influenced your writing in the following months?
The prize gave me a much-needed boost to stay on track as a writer. As working mother of two, my day-to-day routine demands that I juggle a zillion tasks, my writing included. The prize keeps reminding me to never give up. For those of us who are trying to get our novels published disappointment and self-doubt are part of the game. The prize is now the jewel of my bio. I have received requests for the full manuscript from agents. Fingers crossed! I relentlessly pursue my writing aspirations, both locally (in my native language, Greek) and internationally (in English). I have just celebrated with a presentation of the book the Greek edition of my shorts story collection “Not in the Ornamental Teapot” which was originally written and published in English, I completed a novella exploring the themes of displacement, exile, loss, and longing for topos and I am getting ready to embark on a new project.
You were able to attend the festival itself in 2022 - what were your main take-aways and impressions of the festival?
It was an experience I will forever cherish! The people, the workshops, the sense of belonging. I felt at home with so many talented writers to chat and share experiences with. I consider myself lucky having met certain people with whom I am still connected. For example, if it wasn’t for the festival I would never have met Elise Valmorbida with whom I’ve collaborated to put together and carry out, in Cyprus, a Creative Writing and Mindfulness workshop to Empower Vulnerable People.
Will you be returning to the festival in the future?
I would love to!
Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring writers on entering the SWF First 5 Pages Prize?
Write passionately. Edit mercilessly.