Atlantis Books

Abstract

80 WLT JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2015 Outpost NESTLED INTO A CLIFF on an island in the south of Greece is Atlantis Books, a quaint little bookshop in the picturesque town of Oia. The story of how Atlantis came to be taps into collective fantasies of leaving behind humdrum ordinary life to live out a spontaneous adventure, abandoning any hesitations that deter most of us from satisfying our innermost desires. The idea began when young friends and soonto -be university graduates Craig Walzer and Oliver Wise decided to open the store in a burst of inspiration—and intoxication with the island’s remarkable beauty—after vacationing there for a week in 2002. After gathering their resources, Walzer and Wise opened the shop in 2004 and, in 2005, moved it to its current home in the center of Oia. The shop is literally home to employees: they live and sleep among the books. Housed on shelves built by the staff themselves are translations in Greek, Spanish, Italian, German, French, and Dutch. Last year marked the tenth anniversary of the bookshop, an impressive feat considering the recent economic troubles in Greece. One way Atlantis continues to make ends meet is through Paravion Press, a publishing house run in the back room of the shop that published limited editions of classic short stories such as “The Dead,” by James Joyce, or “Feuille d’Album,” by Katherine Mansfield. The idea behind the postcard-size classics is to share stories with loved ones through the mail. Like other independent bookshops, Atlantis provides book lovers not only books but community. Beyond a retail space, Atlantis is a cultural hub where writers, artists, activists, travelers, and adventure seekers gather to partake in a multitude of festivals: film screenings on the terrace and “good old-fashioned dance parties” during the annual Caldera Arts and Literature Festival, which features readings, food, and music from internationally acclaimed artists. An embodiment of sheer ambition, passion, and communal love, one is sure to feel at home inside the warm, sunlit walls of Atlantis Books. Danielle Harden is a WLT intern. Atlantis Books by Danielle Harden photos courtesy of atlantis books left The view from Atlantis overlooking the Aegean Sea. The island of Santorini (Thera) is part of an archipelago that surrounds a volcanic caldera caused by the Minoan eruption in the seventeenth century BC; many believe that Plato’s descriptions of the mythical Atlantis referred to Santorini. About the island, Greek poet Odysseus Elytis wrote: “I find even in the depths of the sea the kind of paradise which I seek!” ...