He returned to his native island in later life. He supported himself by writing throughout his adult life, anything from journalism and short stories to several serialized novels.

From a certain point onwards he had become very popular, and newspapers and magazines vied for his writings, offering him substantial fees.
He never married, and was known to be a recluse, whose only true cares were observing and writing about the life of the poor, and chanting at church: he was referred to as "kosmokalogeros" (κοσμοκαλόγερος, "a monk in the world").

"My idea for the Avlios Restaurant on Papadiamanti Street...Alexandros Papadiamantis as Andy Warhol Poster!"