Photo of Χάρη Ν. Σπανού
Born in Cyprus, in 1964, she graduated from the Pancyprian Gymnasium and studied Medicine in Salonica. She works as a physician in Nicosia. From early on her vivid imagination was coupled with writing - she lives in her mind equally as in ‘reality’. She contemplates that laborious observation, exploring, even imagination is common both in Medicine and Literature; an attempt to comprehend human condition. She published her first book of fiction in 2015 (shortlisted for the Shorts stories and Novella State award) followed by a novella in 2018 and a novel in 2022. Twice divorced, she has three adult children. She presently lives with her two cats, Rho and Hermes, tends to her flowers and herbs and lives in a flat full of books. She reads more than she writes. Up until 1974, she was sure that she would become a ballerina – she was thrilled by dancing and ballet. That same year, the Turkish invasion took place while she was summering with her family in Kyreneia, her grandmother’s birthplace. The first troops landed 500 meters away, they survived; others did not. Her grandmother continued to nurture her with the stories  of their seamen ancestors. 
EUPL Year
EUPL Country
Φυλάκιο (The Outpost)

The storyline unfolds around a missing person since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Nikiforos, a 19-year-old soldier of the national guard, doing his military service in the 361st infantry battalion on Pentadaktylos mountain range is missing in action. Nikiforos himself, as every other missing person, knows exactly what happened to him, and led to his “disappearance” and death. Those who are ignorant and live through this vanished person situation are people close to him; survivors like his siblings Hermes and Julia, Aunt Fani, Savvas his friend. Even Michael, Julia’s son who was born 28 years after Nikiforos went missing, thinks about him, makes assumptions, has feelings and fears associated with his uncle’s circumstances(fate). The background being the present time, which the characters observe, ponder and discuss, whilst getting on with their everyday life, we follow Hermes, Julia, Michael, Savvas and Michael. By studying their thoughts and feelings, the hidden connections that connect them with Nikiforos unravel. As a few bone fragments of his are identified and matched as “him”, things darken and climax. The story ends with a scene which is completely different in ambience from the main body of the Outpost - a magical catharsis. 

Photo of the cover of the book "Φυλάκιο"

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