Kyriakos Charalambides


Kyriakos Charalambides is one of the most renowned and celebrated living Cypriot poets. His poetry, essays, translations, and critical analysis celebrate the ideas of Western civilisation, expressed through the language and history of Greek culture. His poetic opus adds to the tradition established by such modern Greek poets as Constantine P. Cavafy, Giorgos Seferis and Odysseas Elytis. His poetry though holds steadfastly to the Greek Cypriot linguistic register.

Biography

He was born on January 31, 1940, in Achna, in the Famagusta District of Cyprus. He studied history and archaeology at the University of Athens, drama at the Drama School of the Greek National Theater and radio in Munich.
After four years as a high school Greek literature teacher in Cyprus, he was appointed to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation where he served until 1997 as Head of Radio Programmes. In 2008, he has been elected by the Senate of the University of Cyprus to serve on its Council.

Works

He is the author of ten books of poetry:First Source, Athens, 1961.The ignorance of the water, with an introduction from Takis K. Papatsonis, Icarus: Athens, 1967The vase with designs, Nicosia, 1973.The Achaeans’ Shore, Nicosia, 1977; 2nd edition, Agra: Athens, 2003.Famagusta Regal Capital, Hermes: Athens, 1982; Agra: Athens 1997.Dome, Hermes: Athens, 1989; 1991; Agra: Athens, 1998.Meta-history, Agra: Athens, 1995; 2000.Dokimin, Agra: Athens, 2000.Aiyaloussa Visited, Agra: Athena, 2003.Quince Apple, Agra: Athens, 2006.

Awards

Three of his books were awarded the First State Prize for Poetry. His book "Tholos" was awarded the Athens Academy Prize and his collection "Meta-history" was awarded the Greek National Prize for Poetry.
In 1997 he published his own translation and introduction to Romanos the Melodist's "Three Hymns," which was awarded the Hellenic Society of Literary Translators Prize. He is also the recipient of the 1998 Cavafy Prize.
In 2003 he was awarded the Costa and Eleni Ourani Award by the Athens Academy for his entire work in poetry. In 2006, he was awarded the Cultural Contribution Award of Teucros Anthias - Thodosis Pierides by the Cypriot political party, AKEL.
In 2007, he was awarded the Literary, Arts and Sciences Prize of the Republic of Cyprus.

Translations of Charalambides's work

Charalambides's work has been translated in many languages in various monographs:
  • "Selected Poems" translated in English by Greg Delanty.
  • "Methistoria" translated in French by Andreas Hadjisavvas with Francoise Becker, Michel Blanc and Francoise Gabenisch.
  • "Ordens tyranni och andra dikter" translated in Swedish from Anna Maria Gull.
  • "Myth and History" translated in English by David Connoly.

Books on Charalambides's work

  • Michalis Tsianikas, "The name of Famagusta: A critical approach to 'Famagusta Regal Capital" Indiktos: Athens, 2003.
  • Thedosis Pylarinos, "Metahistory" Herodotus: Athens, 2007.
  • Special edition of the journal issue 124, Corfu, July–September, 2007.
  • Special edition of the journal "Literary Themes" issue 12, July - October, 1999.
  • Presentation in journal "The word", issue 163, May - July 2001.
Moreover, his work has been set to music by Chrysostomos Stamoulis, Notis Mavroudes, Michalis Christodoulides, Marios Tokas, Savvas Savva, Marios Meletiou and George Kalogyrou.

Reviews

Reviews of his work are published regularly in the Greek press. The most recent reviews include:
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