Was born in Limassol of Greek refugees who fled from Asian Minor in 1922. She studied Philology at the University of Athens and retired as Coordinating Director for the schools of the city and district of Limassol. She served on the board of directors of the Cyprus PEN Centre as secretary, and serves as president of the Asia Minor Refugees Association in Cyprus of which she is the main founder. She has represented Cyprus at “Poetry Nights” in Struga in 1987 and at the poetry festival “Voix de Méditerranée” in Lodève in 1999. She has participated in many conferences in Cyprus and abroad, as well as in many poetry meetings. Also, she has represented Cyprus in an international anthology of haiku.

Main publications:

She has published thirteen poetry collections, one play, three collections of short stories, eight literary monographs, and eight poetry anthologies. Her poems have been published in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Swedish, Finnish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Farsi, and Arabic. Her short stories have been translated into English and Turkish. Her poetry collection Marginalia was translated into Bulgarian and The Excess of Silence into French. She has published the following poetry collections: To the Readers (Τοις Εντευξομένοις), 1978; Symposium (Ενεστίαση), 1980; Nine Poems (Εννιά ποιήματα), 1986; An Argonaut between the Semplegades (Ένας Αργοναύτης ανάμεσα στις Συμπληγάδες), 1986, which received the Cyprus State Prize for Poetry; By Poetic Licence from Leontios Macheras (Ποιητική Αδεία Λεόντιου Μαχαιρά), 1994; Mirror of Love and Death (Κάτοπτρον Έρωτος και Θανάτου), 1997; The Excess of Silence (Το περίσσευμα της σιωπής), 2003: The Tree in the House (Το Δέντρο στο Σπίτι), 2008; Beloved (Αγαπημένε), 2013, which was shortlisted for the Cyprus State Prize for Poetry; Marginalia, 2015, which was written in collaboration with Elena Toumazi – Rembelina; 12 + 2 poems for the Grecophone Lower Italy and Sicily (12 + 2 ποιήματα για την ελληνόφωνη κάτω Ιταλία αι Σικελία), 2016; And as you travel, write to me (Και ταξιδεύοντας να μου γράφεις), 2018; Full Moon (Πανσέληνος), 2020. She has also published the following collections of short stories; Alexandros Emmanuel Kechayioglou (Αλέξανδρος Εμμανουήλ Κεχαγιόγλου), 1994; Philaretis’s Coffee (Ο Καφές της Φιλαρέτης), 2009, 2nd edition 2010; Commandaria Street (Οδός Κουμανδαρίας), 2015. Also, she has published a book of critic texts entitled The other time, (Ο άλλος χρόνος) 2021 and a novel Oath of Silence (Όρκος σιωπής), 2021.

Key qualifications:

Philologist, ex Headmistress in Lycea, poet, novelist, essayist, critic

Professional Membership:

Ex Secretary of Cyprus Pen Club, Chairman of Association of Asia Minor refugees in Cyprus.

Organization activities and Literary activities:

Editor of literary publications, presentation of books, Poetry anthologies, participation in various symposia and fora.

Freedom of Speech Activities:

As a secretary of Pen Club and as a Chairman of Association of Asia Minor refugees in Cyprus.

Literary genres:

Poetry, Short stories, Essay, Novel, Criticism.

Professional award

She has received the Cyprus State Prize for Poetry (1986), an Honourable Mention in a short story competition set by the Greece – Cyprus Friendship Association (1993), the First Prize (Short Story) from the National Society of Greek Writers of Cyprus (2005), the First Prize for Poetry at the 3rd Poetry Festival of Thessaloniki (2007), the Excellence Award (Historical Short Story) from the Hellenic Cultural Club of Cypriots of Greece (EPOC), the Excellence Award for the 2014 Calendar of the Asia Minor Cypriots Association from EPOC, and the ‘EPOC Gabby Awards- Cyprus’ best and Brightest 2014’’ as president of the Asia Minor Cypriots Association. In 2017, Marginalia was awarded First Prize as the book of the year by EPOC, and As you travel, write to me as the book of the year in 2018.

Contact Details:

Email: monatheodoulou@gmail.com

Phone Numbers: 25 365 928 | 99 514 287

Fax: 25 365 925