The publication of a series of Literary Profiles presenting distinguished Cypriot writers in English language was the result of fruitful thinking and planning, since the establishment of Cyprus PEN and the set up of the first Board of Directors, the idea being supported by all the members of the following Boards, until 1992, when this ambitious goal materialized. As the late Panos Ionnides, President and Honorary President of Cyprus PEN, stated, “We all firmly believed that we had as our sacred duty to internationally promote the culture of our homeland and especially the most important works of our shared space, namely our literature, and this effort had the special dimension of taking place during the accession negotiations that were held at that time between Cyprus and European Union”. Indeed, the members of the Board of Cyprus PEN presented the idea of publishing a series of monographs in English to the then Director of the department of Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus and member of Cyprus PEN, Giannis Katsouris, who immediately approved this proposal and the financial support t of it by the Cultural Services.
An able team of collaborators consisting of distinguished writers, critics and researchers of Cypriot Literature, Academics, experienced translators, artists, editors etc. have been working, granting this ambitious endeavour. By 2021, 67 Literary Portraits were published.
In 2021 the Board of Directors of Cyprus PEN, after mature thought and dialogue, decided to unite Literary Profiles with the periodical publication Cyprus PEN Review, which is the continuity and development of IN FOCUS magazine. The union of these publications serves the greatest possible promotion of our writers and their remarkable works abroad, since one publication can be sent to universities, libraries, scientific centres, and the centres of PEN International, a publication which will include works of various writers in its sections, but also one monograph in each issue. Cyprus PEN Review incorporates Literary Profiles in a fresh, sophisticated and enriched form.
The Literary Profiles that were published until 2021:
- Glafkos Alithersis
- Kleri Angelidou
- Tefkros Anthias
- Maria Avraamidou
- Myrto Azina Chronides
- Kyriakos Charalambides
- Andreas Christofides
- Kypros Chrysanthis
- Alexandra Galanou
- Christodoulos Galatopoulos
- Pitsa Galazi
- Andreas Georghiadis – Kyproleon
- Christakis Georghiou
- Dimitris Gotsis
- Christos Hadjipapas
- Emilios Hourmouzios
- Andreani Iliofotou
- Klitos Ioannides
- Panos Ioannides
- Roula Ioannidou-Stavrou
- Rina Katselli
- Dina Katsouri
- Yiannis Katsouris
- Theoklis Kouyialis
- Manos Kralis
- Nikos Kranidiotis
- Iakovos Kythreotis
- Niki Ladaki-Philippou
- Sofoklis Lazarou
- Niki Marangou
- Ivi Meleagrou
- Lily Michaelides
- Pantelis Michanikos
- Giorgos Moleskis
- Costas Montis
- Nikos Nikolaides
- Theodosis Nikolaou A
- Theodosis Nikolaou B
- Nikos Orfanides
- Evgenia Paleologou Petronda
- Vera Panayiotidou-Korfioti
- Myrianthi Panayiotou-Papaonisiforou
- Yiannis Papadopoulos
- Mihalis Pasiardis
- Andreas Pastellas
- Elli Peonides
- Panikos Peonides
- Evridiki Pericleous Papadopoulou
- Andreas Petrides
- Theodosis Pierides
- Giorgos Philippou-Pierides
- Costas Prousis
- Achilleas Pyliotis
- Maria Pyliotou
- Anthos Rodinis
- Nayia Rousou
- Mona Savidou-Theodoulou
- Andreas Sofocleous
- Lina Solomonidou
- Emilios Solomou
- Phivos Stavrides
- Nadia Stylianou
- Petros Stylianou
- Elena Toumazi Rembelina
- Costas Vasiliou
- Nikos Vrahimis
- Lefkios Zafiriou