Revised Response-essay :

It was a crisp evening on the fourth day of November, when the official car of the Swedish ambassador strolled down the cosy street facing the new building of the EUC [European University Cyprus] campus. As I hustled up the numerous steps to make my way up to Auditorium A, I saw people from the island’s literary community (both familiar and unfamiliar faces that is), greet one another. This to me, symbolized the inauguration of ‘Cadences,’ the finest poetic event to take place this year.
The auditorium was jam-packed, since it seems that intellectuals and university students alike, took an avid interest in either presenting or listening to, the inspirational poems and assorted prose comprising the multilingual (i.e. Greek, Turkish and English-written) Cadences journal. Mr. Karayiannis (head of the EUC’s Literature department), took the initiative to invite Mr. B. to the podium, who updated the eager audience about the sponsoring (EUR 400 million) but also the cultural importance of literary translation, which is at the forefront of the EU’s efforts to overcome linguistic and ethnic discord among the member states, under the motto “ unity and diversity. ”
It ought to be mentioned, that last year, happened to be the second time in which a ‘Bi-communal Poetry and Short Stories Competition’ was organized by Cyprus’ cultural authorities, and Greek-Cypriots along with Turkish-Cypriots received prizes for their literary talent (Zographos). This in turn provided the meriting students with the opportunity to impart their works of art orally in their own language, while a simultaneous translation appeared on a screen, for the listeners of the other ethnic group. However, further efforts to use translation of bi-communal literature as a vehicle for cooperation and tolerance between both cultural groups, has been targeted by the ministry of education ; which has pumped money into sponsoring a comprehensive publication of Turkish-Cypriot philological writings in the Greek language and vice versa (ibid).

Nearly every single performing poet, read their masterpieces in English ; including the Turkish-Cypriots. I became aware of the mutual sense of nostalgia felt by Greek and Turkish-Cypriots, as they recounted milestones from Cyprus’ recent past and provided colorful, multicultural imagery as regards the island’s present character, in poetic verse and prosaic discourse. This very notion of nostalgia, has also been expressed by two leading sociological researches in their essay entry to the Journal of Modern Greek Studies, entitled “The Jasmine Scent of Nicosia : Of Returns, Revolutions, and the Longing for Forbidden Pasts.” The jasmine flower therefore, has come to be a staunch emblem of a much yearned for time {i.e. nostalgia}, in which ethnically diverse or multicultural Cypriot society seemed more pure (Bryant and Hatay, 423) owing to the fact that it was not yet seriously burdened by the ceaseless sociopolitical obstacles that it is confronted with at present. In other words the jasmine as such, represents the sense of nostalgia felt by those Turkish-Cypriots who in spite of the ostracised and highly constricted lifestyle which they endured, resorted to their main source of stength. In this case, one is refering to their sense of community spirit, which they so often employed in their attempt to revolt against and overcome Turkey’s colonisation of our historically dispossessed {i.e. due to successive conquests from foreign empires / invaders over the various centuries}, native island (ibid). Our Turkish-Cypriot brethren thus want to return to the local charm of peaceful intercommunal existence. According to the authors of this editorial, it was only natural for the ‘Jasmine Revolution to be translated into a semblance of bi-communalism’ (Bryant and Hatay, 423), given that the Turkish-Cypriot populace were embittered by the fact that their beloved capital, Nicosia, has to this day been torn into two disconsolate parts as a result of their ‘mother’ country’s {i.e. Turkey} 1974 annexation of Cypriot territory. This memorable flower {which itself has been integrated into popular Turkish-Cypriot narratives, poetry and everyday conversation}, characteristically evokes everything that is worth struggling for, in terms of ‘love and liberation’ (ibid, 424), among the modern and possibly the older generation of Turkish-Cypriots.

One ought to keep in that a poetry movement or interest group of this calibre {i.e. the ‘Cadences’ event}, regardless of whether Cyprus doesn’t really have a tradition of poetic rhetoric, is in actual fact the main driving force behind Greek and Turkish Cypriot literary and simultaneously social creativity, since in essence it explores the mores and attitudes of the locals and confronts these precise real life aspects in an unbiased way. I noticed that one of the poems presented by Mrs Aydin Mehmet Ali, brought to the surface the sensitive issue of ‘missing’ people, whilst another of her writings discussed the demographic changes to Nicosia, which seemed to highlight the contrast between conventional / traditional and contemporary culture.
These learned scholars have made it their mission to enlighten us about social and possibly even political issues that affect the common man, woman and child within the greater realms of Cypriot society, and this led to a newborn sense of optimism springing from within me. My intense feelings of hope were provoked by the fact that I was convinced that Greek and Turkish-Cypriots could merge their voices and face the issues that in modern times are often a source of common hatred as a solid and strong entity. That is to say, that literature as a whole, has the power to break barriers and make people view the world that they cohabit, in a more rational and open-minded manner. I am under the impression that these bi-communal literary representatives have encouraged people, either old or young to celebrate the richness of their shared heritage, by evoking feelings of national or moral harmony amongst their audience and by granting students and seniors with priceless insight about times which will never be able to come back or be changed.
Trying to show understanding towards one another by promoting and accepting our so-called differences is one of the challenges which young Cypriots must aim to fulfil. It will then be much easier for us to mould our dual identity based on respect of both community’s common and uncommon beliefs and principles, such as those of religious faith, educational priorities, cultural norms and customs / rituals etc, all of which influence the social trends of our ethnically mixed nation.

Works Cited :-



(1) Bryant, Rebecca, and Mete Hatay. “The Jasmine Scent of Nicosia : Of Returns, Revolutions, and the Longing for Forbidden Pasts.” Journal of Modern Greek Studies. Maryland : John Hopkins UP. Vol. 26, no 2. Oct. 2008. 423-49.


(2) Zographos, Andreas. “News.” 2 Dec. 2009. Enosi Logotechnon Kyprou [Cyprus Writers Union]. 10 Jan 2010 .