Welcome to my website!
I earned both my PhD and MPhil degrees in Comparative Literature from Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV); and a BA in Greek Philology from the University of Athens. I currently work as a Research, Studies, and Publications Officer at the House of Representatives, Cyprus. I am also an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Nicosia and a Senior Fellow at the Center for European and International Affairs (CCEIA), University of Nicosia.
I have previously worked at several departments of the University of Cyprus (Department of French and European Studies; Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies; Department of History and Archaeology; School of Modern Greek Language); and at the BA Programme in Hellenic Studies, Open University of Cyprus.
I am generally fascinated by comparative and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of myth in literature, theory, politics, and contemporary culture, with a particular interest in postmodern and feminist perspectives. My early work, which lies largely in the field of cultural diplomacy, includes a number of academic contributions to the Cyprus-EU relations and has been funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. My recent essays on Modern Greek Literature of the 20th and 21st centuries, focusing on the work and politics of Yiannis Ritsos, George Seferis, contemporary women’s writing (1970- ), feminist myth-making and the Greek literature of Cyprus, offer new comparative and theoretical insights into the study of Modern Greek literature and were presented in peer-reviewed journals, edited volumes, and international scientific conferences.
I work comparatively in five languages (Greek, English, French, Spanish, Italian).
I have also published poetry and prose in Greek literary journals and have been awarded as finalist for the Mediterranean Poetry Prize (Rome, 2021).
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RECENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS
November 5-7, 2021. “‘The plain was vast…’: Nasia Dionysiou’s dialogue with George Seferis” [in Greek]. 5th Symposium on George Seferis. Organized by the University of Cyprus, the Neapolis University Paphos and the Municipality of Ayia Napa. Ayia Napa, Cyprus.
October 29, 2021. Mediterrannean Poetry Prize 2021 Award Ceremony – Palazzo di Firenze, Roma. (Awarded the second highest distinction for this year’s edition).
July 13, 2021. Read-Tell-Share: Literary reading, engaging 25 writers from Cyprus. Strovolos Municipality, Nicosia.
July 8, 2020. “For a Female Perspective in Literature”. Invited Lecture (online). Cyprus – India Virtual Club, on the subject of “Women’s View”, with Natasa Pilides (Minister of Energy, Industry & Commerce), Dr Harbeen Arora (Global Chairperson, ALL Ladies League (ALL) & Women Economic Forum (WEF)); Marialena Constantinou (Advocate, Legal Consultant); Lily Michaelides (poet); and Shreya Rammath (musician).
February 13, 2020. Book Presentation: Πικρία χώρα (Bitter Land), by Constantia Soteriou (Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2019).
January 23, 2020. Poets of the Generation of the 70s and their Political Dimension. Invited Speaker, with Costa Gouliamos (Rector of the European University) and Lefkios Zafiriou (poet). University of Cyprus.
November 1-3, 2019: 4th Symposium on George Seferis. Invited Speaker. Organized by the University of Cyprus and the University of Neapolis Pafos
May 10, 2019: The Thessaloniki International Book Fair. Coordinator and Keynote speaker of the Round-table discussion “Woman in the Text”; with the writers Myrto Azina, Nasia Dionysiou, Maria A. Ioannou, and Constantia Soteriou.
April 18, 2019: Season Women 2019-2021. Theory Workshop on Judith Butler.
March 7, 2019: The Cyprus Oscar Wilde Festival. Invited speaker. Co-organized with the Embassy of Ireland in Cyprus.
Jan. 31 – Feb. 2, 2019: International Conference A Review of Kyriacos Charalambides. Main organizer, Open University of Cyprus
June 1, 2018: International Symposium Woman: Art-Literature-Society. Invited speaker, with Maria Farantouri, George Veis, Nouritza Matossian, and Neshe Yashin.
May 5-6, 2018: Sixth Annual Conference at the Castle of Monemvasia, on the subject of “Yannis Ritsos”. Invited Speaker.
May 2, 2018: Book Presentation: Υπερκαινοφανής (The Supernovian), by Constantinos Papageorgiou
December 18, 2017: Woman in the Text: Four Cypriot Women Prose Writers Talk about Writing: Myrto Azina, Nasia Dionysiou, Maria A. Ioannou, Constantia Soteriou. Coordinator, Open University of Cyprus.
November 3-5, 2017: 3rd Symposium on George Seferis, Organized by the University of Neapolis and the University of Cyprus
Demetra Demetriou 