#96: Xenia
In Ancient Greece, it was believed that gods in disguise walked the Earth. While this might sound like fun, there’s a tiny catch: a blunder (like turning away a stranger in need of shelter) could get you into a deity’s bad books.
So what did the Greeks do? They lived by the principle of xenia: extending their hospitality to anyone and everyone without exception — in case a god was among their visitors. I make it sound like a life hack, but the Greeks approached xenia with real reverence, and the custom features in many works of the time — most notably Homer’s timeless classic, The Odyssey.
Ever since Odysseus made the journey home to Ithaca (where his unlucky wife was duty bound to entertain 108 unwanted suitors due to the sanctity of xenia), the delicate, shifting balance between stranger, guest, and friend has been a fertile source of conflict in stories. With that in mind, this week’s prompts invite you to explore the relationship between guest and host, or negotiate the path from strangers to friends. You can choose to embrace the concept of xenia, or not — I’ve left it up to you. Happy writing!
🥇 Winner
“unoccupied” by R E
⭐️ Shortlisted
“Elpis” by Katie Evans
“I am not here” by Austin Diaz
“Pulling Threads” by R K
This week's prompts
Write a story about strangers becoming friends, or friends becoming strangers.
Fluff
–
268 stories
Start your story with the arrival of a strange visitor in a small town.
Horror
–
189 stories
Write about someone welcoming a stranger into their home.
Thriller and Suspense
–
164 stories
Start your story in an empty guest room.
Horror
–
153 stories
Write about a character who has to rely on the hospitality of strangers.
Fluff
–
100 stories
Stories
“unoccupied” by R E
“Hair of Fire ” by ᗩᗴᖇIᑎ ᖇᗴᗷᗴᑕᑕᗩ ✨🌈
“Spare a Room?” by Lynn Penny
“Andromeda” by Kelly Dennison
“The Cycle” by Maahnoor Rajan
“Open” by Claire Lindsey
“Ania's Room” by Thom Brodkin
$50
Prize money
875
Contest entries
0
Stories
Ended on 23:59 - Jun 04, 2021 EST
Won by R E 🏆
Title: unoccupied
Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.
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