National Prize for Literature 2015

Stories of Famagusta is a collection of short stories that trace aspects of the life of Famagusta. Even though most of the characters featured in the stories are fictional, they represent inhabitants of the now Turkish-occupied Famagusta, where no Greek has resided since August 1974.

The walls and harbour of Famagusta, its sandy beach with the lilies of-the-shore, the promenade, the orange orchards, taverns, schoolboys and schoolgirls, boy scouts, EOKA fighters, the war, friendships and animosities with the Turks, love affairs, emigration, and the lives of refugees are all interwoven into the fabric of the narratives.

The stories span the years from before World War II to the present day, as the city lives on wherever there are Famagustans.

Dimitris Leventis