Sailing Across a Wounded Sea: A conversation about the Mediterranean, wounded but not silent!

On Friday, August 8, 2025, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Stavraka House in Chora, Patmos, will host an important spiritual gathering on the occasion of the presentation of Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara’s book Sailing Across a Wounded Sea.

Sailing Across a Wounded Sea is much more than a travelogue. It is the record of a life dedicated to the Mediterranean: to the creatures that inhabit it, the people who cross it, and the problems that plague it. The author, a marine ecologist and decades-long advocate for marine biodiversity, invites us on an ideal—but not idealized—journey based on fifty years of real experiences and observations. From whales and dolphins to Mediterranean monk seals and stingrays, Notarbartolo di Sciara reveals a wealth of life that most people are unaware of—and therefore cannot defend.

At the heart of the debate lies the question: how can we care about something we don’t know? Like a Greek tragedy, human intervention is disrupting the natural balance of the Mediterranean, leaving behind wounds and losses. However, unlike ancient tragedies, there is room for hope here—provided there is knowledge, awareness, and action. Stefanos Geroulanos’ foreword, with his deep knowledge of medical history and his broader cultural education, will place the discussion in the broader context of human responsibility and the lessons of the past.

The event is held under the auspices of the Patmian Culture Society, and those who attend will have the opportunity to listen, reflect, fall in love with the sea again—and perhaps take action to preserve it.