Costas Katsonis

Costas Katsonis

Costas Katsonis (PhD): C.V. and works

Costas Katsonis was born in Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus, in 1949. He studied at the Cyprus Paedagogical Academy and the Faculty of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He did postgraduate studies in pedagogy (M.Ed., Trenton State College of New Jersey, USA) and holds a doctorate from the University of Thessaly, on The pedagogical element in modern Cyprus short story for children and young people (1974-2004).
Initially he worked as a teacher in primary schools (1971-1988) and then as a philologist in Secondary Education, retiring in 2009 from the post of First Education Officer, with special duties in the Office of the Minister of Education and Culture (2003-2009), having completed 38 years of successful educational service. Afterwards he co-operated, for five years, with the European University of Cyprus, as an associate at the School of Education.

He has been a member of the editorial team of the literary magazine ‘O Kyklos – The Circle’ (1980-1986), while from 1989 to today (2024) he is responsible for the publication of the magazine Anemi, Review of Cyprus Children’s Literature (issues 1-28), which is published annually by the Cyprus IBBY section and which he served for 35 consecutive years, initially as a member of its board (1985-2006), and then as chairman, from 2007 to 2020. As from 2020 he is an honorary chairman. He is a writer and researcher of children and youth literature, of the history of Cyprus and literature in general. He has also been involved in the drafting of textbooks, being a member of the Programme Development Service of the Ministry of Education and Culture. He has a plethora of literature works which include poetry, short stories, articles and studies on Cyprus literature for children and young people and modern Greek literature, studies in history, essays, short story anthology, doctoral dissertation, etc., and endless publications (articles and studies) in literature magazines in Cyprus and in Greece. Some of his poems have been translated into English and French.

He has also edited dozens of books by Cypriot authors (children’s literature and literature in general, folk-poetry, etc.). As a member, initially, and as chairman subsequently of the Cyprus IBBY section he represented Cyprus in numerous international conferences for children and youth literature (IBBY Congress etc.), while he also participated in a large number of conferences and seminars for children and youth literature and for other issues (on education and culture), in Cyprus, Greece and abroad.

He pioneered in the establishment of the Larnaca House of Letters and Arts (2004), of which he has been the chairman since 2007, while on his own initiative the Cultural Movement Friends of Literature and Culture (2015) was founded in Larnaca, of which he was the first chairman. Today he is the vice chairman. He is also the founder and chairman of the Andreas Mapouras Foundation (2015) and vice chairman of the Cultural Creation Foundation for Young People of Larnaca District. He was a member of the Jury for the State Awards for Children and Youth Literature of Cyprus (2002-2009, 2011-2012) and chairman of the Jury for the Literary Competitions of the Cyprus IBBY section (1990-2024). For a decade he was the chairman of the Jury for the Tefkros Anthias-Theodosis Pieridis Cultural Contribution Award (2006-2015) of AKEL party Central Committee. Since 2010 he has been the chairman of the Jury of the Annual Cyprus Poetry Competitions of the Larnaca Kataklysmos Folk Festival.

He has shown a significant social and cultural activity in his birthplace Aradippou as a municipal and school councillor (2011-2016) and in Larnaca, where he was the coordinator of the Demitriion Cultural Centre (1978-1983) - for which he wrote and published a book (2019). He was also a member of the Publishing and Culture Committees of the Municipalities of Larnaca and Aradippou.

He is married to the philologist Anastasia Hadjiloi from Lapithos and they have two children.

For his significant contribution to education and culture he was honoured with the G.F. Pierides Award of the Cyprus Literature Union (2021), with the Greek Letters Award of the Municipality of Aradippou (2023), with the Award for his contribution in total in Child Youth Literature ‘Michalakis Marathetis’ of the Cyprus IBBY section for 2025. In December 2024 he was honoured by the AKEL Larnaca District Committee for his contribution to Education and Culture. In 2021 he was a candidate of the Cyprus IBBY section for the Astrid Memorial Award, awarded annually by the Swedish government to individuals and organizations with a significant contribution to child and youth literature. He is also an honorary chairman of Cyprus IBBY section, of the Hellenic-Cyprus Culture Association and of the Eating Disorders Association Cyprus (of which he was the founder and chairman from 2003 to 2020).

POETRY

  • Milimata kai antimilimata (Talks and counter talks), Larnaca 1993/Reprint 2020 (14x21, pp. 112) (Elias Epifaniou Publications).

SHORT STORIES

  • Melina of Kyrenia (short stories for older children and young people), K. Epifaniou Publications, Nicosia 2002/2003 (14x21, pp. 80).
  • Letter from the sky (short stories), Parga Publications, Nicosia 2006 (14x21, pp.128).
  • The two voices (a fictional testimony about anorexia). Published by the ‘MAZI’ Foundation and the Eating Disorders Association Cyprus (being printed).

STUDIES-ESSAYS

  • Writers of Cyprus children’s literature (with George Kitromilidis, Maria Michailidou and Flora Timotheou), Nicosia 1996 (17x24, pp. 136).
  • Recent developments in literature of Cyprus for children and young people, Parga Publications, Athens 2003 (14x21, 240).
  • People and topics of Cyprus children’s and youth literature, Parga Publications, Nicosia 2003 (14x21, pp. 240).
  • The pedagogical element in modern Cyprus short story for children and young people (1974-2004) - Doctoral dissertation. Publication of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture (series of Doctoral Dissertations, no. 9), Nicosia 2009 (17x24, pp. 480).
  • Education for the 21st century-for an education of the active citizen, modern and humanitarian (essays), Parga, Nicosia 2013 (14x21, pp. 116).
  • The intellectual production in Larnaca - scholars, writers - 100 writers of Larnaca (volume 1), Larnaca 2018 - Collective edition, with George Kitromilidis and Glafkos Georgiadis (17x24, pp. 282).
  • On pandemics and other troubles-Stochastic quests (small essays on major issues of political and social reflection), Archytas Publications, Athens 2021 (14x21, under publication).
  • Of the divided homeland-a literary journey through the work of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot writers (14x21, pp. 220, Elias Epifaniou Publications, Nicosia 2025.

ANTHOLOGIES

  • Literature and peaceful coexistence, Anthology of Cyprus short stories for children and young people, Parga Publications, Nicosia 2012.
  • I don’t Forget Cyprus-Prose works and poems for children and young people, Hellinoekdotiki, Athens 2024 (Editors: Costas Katsonis and Tasoula Tsilimeni).

HISTORY

  • Cyprus on the cross roads of History (1945-1960). The birth of the Republic of Cyprus-A modern approach to history through the pluralism of sources, Larnaca, 2002/2003/2007 (15x21, p.320).
  • Aradippou, the Court of Despotism - People, History, Culture, Published by the Municipality of Aradippou, Aradippou 2018 (Collective edition, 21x29, pp. 854).
  • The Demitriion Cultural Centre of Larnaca 1973-1983. A model cultural centre in the city of Zenon, Published by the Phivos Stavridis Foundation, Larnaca 2019 (17x24, pp. 336).
  • The hero teacher Nicos Nicolaou (1950-1974), Publication of the Cyprus Pedagogical Academy Alumni Association (with George Constantinou, Larnaca 2024 (17x24, pp.120).
  • People and History, Contribution to the study of oral history through 30 Interviews, Aradippou Municipality Publication (being printed)

WORKS IN GENERAL

(Editing: research and collection of material, classification, linguistic editing and publishing)

Literature

  • Andreas Mapouras, the naive poetry pamphlets-122 pamphlets, published and unpublished", Published by the "Andreas Mapouras" Foundation, Larnaca 2015 (17x24, pp. 976).
  • Andreas Kourtellas, The Speaking Painting – All his poems, Published by the Alumni Association of the Cyprus Pedagogical Academy 1971, Larnaca 2018 (17x24, pp. 136).
  • Stefanos Zympoulakis: I will come again Famagusta- All his poems, Published by the Christina Apostolou Foundation, Larnaca 2021 (17x24, pp. 480).
  • Doros Theodoulou, (Honorary volume), A tireless worker of children’s literature, Published by the Cyprus IBBY section, Nicosia 2021 (17x24, pp. 286)

Folklore-Ethnographic

  • Fotis K. Papafotis, Akanthou of Chrysosotiros - Everyday life and people. A nostalgic trip to Akanthou of yesterday, Larnaca 2016 (17x24, pp. 340).
  • Kontea Esti (It’s Kontea): History, Tradition and Culture of Occupied Kontea, Published by the Refugee Association ‘Kontea’, Larnaca 2011 (17x24, pp. 758).
  • Tremetousha (Trimithounta) and Ayios Spyridon - History, Tradition, Culture, Published by the Refugee Association ‘Ayios Spyridonas’, Larnaca 2009 (17X24, pp. 240).

SCHOOL BOOKS-Publications of the Ministry of Education of Cyprus *

  • Let’s get to know Cyprus (publication for overseas Greek schools), Nicosia, 1992.
  • Becoming a good citizen, for the pupils of the 5th grade of the Primary School, Nicosia, 1983 and 1991 (improved reprint).
  • Becoming a good citizen, for the pupils of the 6th grade of the Primary School, Nicosia, 1983/1991.
  • Becoming a good citizen, book for the teacher, Nicosia, 1983.
  • Getting to know my environment, geography for the pupils of the 3rd grade of the Primary School, Nicosia, 1986/1992.
  • Getting to know my environment, geography for the pupils of the 4th grade of the Primary School, Nicosia, 1987.
  • I do not forget and struggle, for the 3rd and 4th grades of the Primary School, Nicosia, 1992.
  • Cyprus Anthology, book for teachers, Nicosia, 1992.
  • History of Cyprus (medieval-modern 1192-1974), for the 3rd class of Lyceum, Nicosia, 1992.

    • * Apart from the 1st book, the other eight books were written in cooperation with others.

MAGAZINES

(Collection of material, classification, philological and editorial editing)

  • Anemi-Review of Cypriot Children’s Literature, published by the Cyprus IBBY section, Issues 1-32 (1989-2024), Total pages 6222.
  • Aradippou (annual publication of the Municipality of Aradippou), editor of content and publication, issues 1-35 (Larnaca, 1986-2020).
  • Bulletin (Association of Alumni of the Cyprus Pedagogical Academy 1970-71), Issues 1-12 (Nicosia, 1974-1979).
  • Aradippou (quarterly newspaper of the Municipality of Aradippou). Publisher and editor: 2011-2016 (as a municipal councillor) and editor thereafter until 2021.
  • Larnaca-Cataclysm (annual publication of the Municipality of Larnaca), member of the editorial committee, 18 issues 1982-2000.
  • Student Creations-Dialogue with Parents, Magazine for the Pupils of the 2 Kalogera Primary Schools, published by the Parents’ Association, Issues 1-7 (1991-1997).
  • O Kyklos (bimonthly art and reflection magazine), Member of the Publishing Group headed by the late Phivos Stavridis (publisher and editor), Issues 1-22 (Larnaca, 1980-1986).
  • O Spoudastis (The student) magazine of the Cyprus Pedagogical Academy), chairman of the editorial committee for issues 1-4 (Nicosia, 1969-1971).
  • Scholika Nea - School news (Student Newspaper of Larnaca Boys‘ High School, later St. George’s High School), issues 1-4 (1966-1967).

OTHER STUDIES
In addition to the above published works, he has also prepared over 300 studies (speeches-presentations and book presentations) on children’s literature, broader Cypriot and modern Greek literature, folk poetry, history and other topics), as well as short essays (articles) on issues of political and social concern. {(Around 300 articles were published in the newspaper ‘Politis’ in a weekly Sunday column that he maintained from 2011 to 2018 and another 150 in ‘Haravgi’ in the period of 2018 to 2024 (in a weekly column)}.