Interview with Antri Antoniou, a Prolific Young Writer from Cyprus

Antri Antoniou was born in Cyprus in 1980. She is a University of Cyprus graduate and works as a teacher in public elementary schools. Antri has made a spectacular entrance into the world of children's and young adult literature, in Cyprus and in Greece, and has rightfully gained an important place among Greek authors. A prolific writer, since her first publication in 2012, she has already published seven books—five of which have been recognized with awards and honors. Antri's writing has brought a breath of fresh air to Greek-Cypriot children's literature, in relation to both style and content. In 2017, she was selected by Aarhus 39—a competitive part of the International Children's Literature Hay Festival, Aarhus, that engages the top European authors under the age of forty.

The following interview sheds light on different aspects of Antri's successful and even more promising writing career.

How did you come to be an author? Was it a childhood dream?

It was indeed. One of my first memories is my attempt to write fairytales at the age of six. And I did not just write fairytales. I kept telling people that when I grow up I'd become a writer. I don't really know where it came from, but it was a need that I felt early on and throughout all the stages of my life. Literature has always been a constant value for me. I read and wrote a lot—poetry, short stories, articles, plays. I don't remember ever being as much interested or more excited about anything else compared to writing.

Did you face any challenges as a young author in a small country with a limited reading audience?

At first, I didn't know anyone in the field of children's literature, and no one knew me. That changed gradually. I am now friends with quite a few other authors. And becoming a member of the Cyprus Board on Books for Young people (CYBBY) has been quite beneficial for me. However, I still feel cutoff from what takes place in the wider cultural scene in Greece. Athens, as the Greek capital, is culturally innovative and favors new ideas and young authors. For those of us who live and work far away from Athens, things are substantially more difficult...

How hard was it to get your career started?

For several years, all my efforts were focused on writing short texts for very young readers. I was trapped in my conviction that this was what I did best, which was wrong. I was writing mediocre stories. It was during an evening in December of 2010 that I wrote, without any prior planning, the first chapter of Mpeladomagnitis (Trouble Magnet), which would become my first published book. In the following five months, I completed this 30,000-word text and mailed it to Psychogios Publications. Shortly after, I received the first ever acceptance of a manuscript of mine.

How easy and how soon did your next books come?

My second book, Pinelopi (Penelope), was swiftly and easily published. It was in bookstores just one year after the publication of my first book. After that, though, a failed third attempt for publication made me stay away from writing for quite some time... That is, until I realized how empty my life felt without it. So I started writing again. Writing more and better, experimenting, studying, working hard. And fortunately, my hard work brought results: Contracts with four big publishing houses in Greece, literary awards, and an unexpected European distinction. I think no matter how many more rejected manuscripts I have in the future, I will definitely continue to write. Writing brings balance into my life.

Tell us some more about your books, their style, themes, content...

All of my books are contemporary realistic novels, addressed to middle-school children (nine to twelve years old) or teenagers. They often deal with social issues, such as friendship, self-confidence, obesity, sibling relations, adolescence...