When I discovered the folk tales of Zakynthos, recorded by Marietta Minotou, a prominent folklorist and intellectual figure of the island, in the local dialect of the rural people, I was captivated by the rhythm and the music of their language, not to mention the personality of the recorder herself. It’s the reason why I chose seven magical folk tales from the collection and dared to adapt them, essentially by rewriting them from scratch, without forgetting, I hope, that language is like the universe, a complex interplay of rhythms, and that everything begins with rhythm. Afterward, I armed myself with brushes and an array of colors, resuming the journey into the realm of the unforeseen, an incredible world where everything is possible. A place where I felt that, even if only for a little while, I got caught up in the dream. After all, in one way or another, we are all beings crafted from the substance of dreams. Dreaming is our destiny, and it’s through the transformation of dreams into words and images that they evolve into tales and paintings, nurturing our souls in the process. The process of creating the book’s illustrations, coupled with the in-depth exploration of a scarce bibliography encompassing works from the last two centuries (regarding subjects such as architecture, nature, customs, attire, and the historical way of life on Zakynthos) took more than two years and unfolded with great love and joy. Through my illustrations, I hope that you will hear the music of the fairy tales, but also, as they say in Amorgos, “hear the smell of them”. And maybe, some fairy tale wind will blow into your heart and mind. And maybe, every journey of yours into the world of both the imaginative and real, gets to share the same destination: the return to the Source. A place where all dreams, all wishes, and all prayers flow and derive from.

Zoe Nikitaki