Performing under the12-day annual event’s Guest of Honour programme, Greek artists transform the book fair’s halls into a stage of song, poetry and timeless storytelling

Sharjah, November 8, 2025

For a moment the bustling halls of the Sharjah Expo Centre – the venue of the ongoing 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) felt worlds away, one that belonged to the steps of the Parthenon or a moonlit square in Athens, where song, poetry, and passion intertwine most evenings.

This, as the Greek Travelling Theatre Troupe, performing as part of Greece’s Guest of Honour programme at the 12-day annual event, brought the essence of Hellenic culture to life with a performance blending melody, verse and theatre.

Led by acclaimed musician and composer Nikolaos Platanos and soprano Kiliaki Vlachogianni, the duo performed Greek songs inspired by modern poetry. Platanos traded his usual piano for an accordion, filling the space with rich notes that wrapped around Vlachogianni’s soaring vocals – a sound that felt both timeless and yet immediate.

“It’s a joy to bring a piece of Greece to Sharjah for the first time like this,” said Nikolaos Platanos. “Music and poetry are the bridges between cultures and performing here feels like sharing a heartbeat across continents.”

This performance is the troupe’s first act outside Greece, was crowned by an unexpected and heartfelt moment when Greece’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Iasonas (Jason) Fotilas, joined in to sing the beloved classic Ta Paidia tou Peiraia (The Children of Piraeus).

Soprano Kiliaki Vlachogianni said: “This was our first performance abroad together and the warmth of the audience made it unforgettable. The connection we felt here is exactly what art is meant to create.”

The act is one of the several shows that’s part of the cultural agenda  at this year’s SIBF being organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) until November 16 under the theme “Between you and a book”.

-ENDS-

Attached images:

1-4. General images featuring the Greek Travelling Theatre