19
Ododeichtes tou paliou kairou
(Signposts of
the old days), by Rina Katselli (Chrysopolitissa
Publications)
I enochi ton athoon
(The guilt of the
innocent), by Katerina Mavrommatis (Kedros
Publications)
Os alithos: I zoi tis Charitas Mantoles
(The
truth: The life of Charita Mantoles), by Evridiki
Pericleous-Papadopoulou (Nefeli Publications)
Narrative
The Judging Committee
unanimously decided to
award the State Prize for
a Short Story/Novella
published in 2014 to
Costas Lympouris, for
his work
Ton imeteron
allon
(Our
own
others) by Parakentro
Publications.
In Costas Lympouris’ compilation of short
stories, the prevailing theme is “The Other”,
in the form of a refugee, migrant or outcast.
The big merit of these narratives is that the
author succeeds in dismantling the negative
stereotypes surrounding the “diverse”. Costas
Lympouris follows a specific technique: he
orchestrates the appearance of a foreigner in a
specific, familiar space, showcasing the mistrust
and distrust that accompanies this appearance,
and gradually manipulates the subversion and
reversal of the negative stereotype, making
the foreigners themselves, through the actions
of the people and the distribution of roles, a
judge of the “cronies”. The foreigner becomes
a reflection of our flaws. It is he who comes
through his material deficiency to reveal our
own moral nudity. The mirror technique adds an
emotional wealth, but more importantly critical
dimension to the narratives, which is topped off
with some Chekhov irony. The protagonists of
the compilation, a deaf child who is the son
of a migrant woman; an African taxi driver;
a student from Sri Lanka, a Vietnamese
housemaid; an obese Russian man; a Romanian
saxophonist; a Palestinian schoolgirl; a baker
fromBulgaria; are finding it hard to coexist with
Greek and Cypriot people; a coexistence that
becomes the bible of human torture in times of
crisis, and of the problematic behaviours borne
from xenophobia, bigotry, lack of compassion
and necrosis from participating in the other’s
pain. However, the foreigners in the book
come to give lessons of humanity, to ruffle
feathers and bring to life memories of “our
own” persecutions. The narratives express
longstanding, as well as current, situations, in
a way that is often heart-breaking as well as
exemplary.
Narrative Shortlist
Ta ichni tou chronou
(The traces of time), by
Euripides Kleopas (Periplous Publications)
Ton imeteron allon
, by Costas Lympouris
(Parakentro Publications)
Anevas kai katevas
(Ascend and descend), by
George Charitonidis (Kedros Publications)
Essay/Study
The Judging Committee unanimously decided
not to award the State Prize for an Essay/Study
published in 2014.
Ex aformis: Aesthetikes
proseggiseis
(In connection: Aesthetic
approaches) by Andreas Petrides was the only
work to make the shortlist.
Best New Writer
George Panagi won
the State Prize for Best
New Writer for books
published in 2014, for
his work
Oi mythoi:
Diigimata
(The myths:
Short stories), by a
majority decision of the
Judging Committee.
The collection of short stories by new artist
George Panagi is a book filled with undeniable
virtues, and which stands out for its author’s
thematic choices, its resourcefulness,
expressive flair and contemplative quests.
Its title,
The myths
, refers readers to the core
function of fictional narrative from ancient
