Nicosia Beyond Barriers - by Alev Adil & Aydin Mehmet Ali & Bahriye Kemal & Maria Petrides (Paperback)

About the Book

Unique volume of writings from both sides of the divide (Turkish/Cypriot) in Nicosia, the world's last divided capital

Book Synopsis

Finalist the People's Book Prize

Cyprus' capital Nicosia has been split by a militarised border for decades. In this collection, writers from all sides of the divide reimagine the past, present and future of their city.

Here, Cypriot-Greeks coexist alongside Cypriot-Turks, the north with the south, town with countryside, dominant voices with the marginalised. This is a city of endless possibilities - a place where an anthropologist from London and a talkative Marxist are hunted by a gunman in the Forbidden zone; where a romance between two aspiring Tango dancers falls victim to Nicosia's time difference; and where an artist finds his workplace on a rooftop, where he paints a horizon disturbed only by birds.

Together, these writers journey beyond the beaten track creating a complete picture of Nicosia, the world's last divided capital city, that defies barriers of all kinds.

Review Quotes

'Ambitious and enchanting ... the selection encompasses a striking diversity of genres and perspectives.' --Jonathan Fryer

'These pieces of fiction, poetry and journalism offer a cast of diverse narrators this book is perceptive and peppered with fresh detail.' --TLS

'Unifying, inclusive, perspectives which celebrate diversity ... vibrant, rich in Levantine tonalities ... Nicosia and its inhabitants are liberated on every page of this prodigious volume, with its soul encapsulated by these visionaries. A revelatory read.' --Morning Star