Cyprus has announced the winners of its state literary awards for works published in 2024, with Eleni Kefala taking the poetry prize and Kyriacos Margaritis winning the fiction award, according to the Culture Deputy Ministry’s Contemporary Culture Department.
Andreas Maloris won the short story/novella award, whilst the emerging writer prize went to Alexandros Chronidis. Pantelis Voutouris secured the study/essay award.
Marina Michailidou-Kadi won the children’s literature award for younger readers, Anna Kouppanou took the prize for older children and teenagers, and Chryso Charalambous received the illustration award.
Culture Deputy Minister Dr. Lina Kassianidou will present the awards at a ceremony on 15 December at 8pm at Pallas Theatre. Entry will be free.
Poetry award
The judging panel awarded Kefala the poetry prize by majority vote for her work “Direct orient: poems” (Perispomeni Publications).
Other shortlisted works included “Arithmomnemon” by Michalis Theodorou (Thraka Publications), “The seventh seal” by Eleni Theocharus (Erato Publications), “German shepherds” by Angela Kaimaklioti (Vakchikon Publications), “Now” by Pambos Kouzalis (Smili Publications), and “Three personal poems” by Giorgos Moleskis (Vakchikon Publications).
Fiction award
Margaritis won the fiction prize by majority vote for “Incident 74” (Ikaros Publications), the third of 33 books he plans to write.
The only other shortlisted work was “And many were crowned” by Eurydiki Perikleous-Papadopoulou (Nefeli Publications).
Short story/novella award
The panel unanimously awarded Maloris the short story/novella prize for “Almost everything: short stories” (To Rodakio Publications).
Other shortlisted works included “Jeremias 21: novella” by Chara Zymara (To Rodakio), “To no one” by Erato Ioannou (The Purple Squirrel), “Those to come: 45 tableaux vivants” by Roxani Nikolaou (Technodromion Publications), “Salt: novella” by Pavlos Pamporidis (Armida Publications), and “Disabled horizon: novella” by Kyriacos Stylianou (Armida Publications).
Study/essay award
Voutouris won the study/essay prize unanimously for “Somewhere in Cyprus, in Preveza district: introduction to the poetics of Kostas Montis” (Erato Publications).
Other shortlisted works included “An unattainable resurrection: commentary on Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis” by Panagiotis Thoma (Armos Publications) and “…the birds took our voice…” by Maria Michailidou (Ilias Epifaniou Publications).
Emerging writer award
Chronidis won the emerging writer prize by majority vote for “By the rivers of Babylon” (Almyra Publications).
Other shortlisted works included “Only marionettes stand upright” by Stavros Themistokleous (Romi Publications), “Amphilyki” by Gavriella Panagi (Metronome), and “Cassandra II: poetry” by Stavros X. Petrou (Eleftheroudakis).
Children’s literature award (younger children)
Michailidou-Kadi won the award by majority vote for “Hot chocolate” (Teleia Publications), with illustrations by Chrysa Spyridonos.
Other shortlisted works included “My house” by Despoina Herakleous (Kaleidoscope Publications), “Pff! With roads, sails and wings” by Maria Loizidou (Psychogios), “A nest for me” by Valentina Papadimitraki (Kaleidoscope Publications), and “Where do you say?” by Marilena Tapaki (self-published).
Children’s literature award (older children and teenagers)
Kouppanou won by majority vote for “When the sea left us: a story based on real events from Cyprus 1974” (Pataki Publications).
Other shortlisted works included “On the way home” by Andri Antoniou (Psychogios), “How many metres is our world? The life, work and world of Adamantios Diamantis” by Sandi Antoniou (Kaleidoscope Publications), “I made it!” by Elena Perikleous (Kaleidoscope Publications), and “The sixth riddle” by Dimitra Charalambous (Teleia Publications).
Illustration award
Charalambous won the illustration prize unanimously for her work on “The moon in Paris” by Areti Katsantoni (Fourfouri Publications).
Other shortlisted works included “The book of fears and how to make them disappear” illustrated by Sandra Eleftheriou, “My grandmother fell in love” illustrated by Sandra Eleftheriou, “Where do you say?” illustrated by Eliza Pieri, and “Friends tied with thread” illustrated by Chryso Charalambous.
The 2024 literature judging panel comprised Kyriacos Ioannou (chair), Maria A. Ioannou, Konstantinos Bouras, Michaela Prinzinger and Christos Chatzigiannnis.
The children’s and teenagers’ literature panel comprised Katerina Karatasou (chair), Ioanna Argyrou, Angela Kaimaklioti, Meni Kanatsouli and Louiza Malouri.
The illustration panel comprised Konstantinos Georgiou (chair), Tereza Lambrianou, Kostas Mantzalos, Dimitris Kokkinolambos and Zoi Pintsies Kyriakou.
Panel members with connections to candidate works abstained from voting, according to the ministry.
