What do cricket and books have in common? A surprising amount it would seem. 

Cricket is one of the most popular sports to write about according to David Kynaston, who rounded up some of the best books written about the sport in The Guardian last year. Then there’s the Authors Cricket Club, known internationally as Authors XI, first founded in England in 1891 as an offshoot to the prestigious Authors’ Club.

And now, there’s the Corfu Literary Festival. For the second year, the festival will bring cricket players and writers together for a week of open talks and games on September 23-30.

Nine evening events will take place at selected historic venues, including the Municipal Gallery, the Public Library (housed in the Old Fortress of Corfu) and the museum and grounds of the Capodistrias Museum in Evroupoli. For the latter, transport to and from Corfu Town will be arranged.

During the day, visitors can enjoy the matches between two historic cricket teams: the Authors XI, and the Hellenic Cricket Federation, who have been playing cricket on Corfu since 1823, at the Gouvia Marina Cricket Pitch.

Along with a number of Greek authors, several of the Authors XI players – all renowned writers in various genres – will present their works and engage in talks on various topics during the festival events.

On Wednesday, September 25th, the team captain, Charlie Campbell, along with players Jon Hotten and Matt Thacker, will discuss the history of cricket on Corfu.

Visitors are encouraged to take active part in the talks and panel discussions, ranging in subject from the legacy of Homer to olive oil, and are also invited to join communal dinners at local tavernas following the events.

See the full festival schedule here.