Other Cyprus-related Substackers
There are not that many but here is my wee list
The Cyprus turtle. Photo source: Shutterstock.
I have a Grade 5 ABRSM violin examination on Tuesday, 10 June, so I am focusing most of my “extra-curricular” activities on getting those tricky runs right in the performance part of the exam; hitting those high notes correctly if they come up in the sight-reading part of the exam; and practising retaining a slightly complicated melody in my head long enough to sing or clap it back for the aural part of the exam.
So here, in no particular order apart from putting my pal first, are some other Cyprus-related ‘stackers, all writing in English.
Sophia Papastavrou on Sophia’s Substack
I find Sophia’s posts lyrical, passionate and surprising: in a good way, as I am used to reading Sophia’s professional output.
Maybe the best way to describe the tone of the Substack is the subtitle of one of her posts: “On raising daughters, breaking boxes and belonging everywhere and nowhere all at once.”
Here is a taster from this article:
“Identity isn’t one story. It’s layered, messy, unresolved. It is, as the scholars say, socially constructed—but also deeply felt. It’s how we find belonging, even if only in fragments.”
Where to find Sophia’s Substack by Sophia Papastavrou:
Nicholas Karides Essays
Fairly new to Substack but continuing a longer blog practice.
As a former EU press director and longtime media analyst Nicholas posts thoughtful pieces ranging from Cyprus to EU affairs, including this one on the many issues with the Cyprus media.
Where to find Nicholas Karides Essays:
Charis Psaltis Charis’s Substack
Professor of Social Development and Psychology at the University of Cyprus, whom I also interviewed in May here. Also fairly new to Substack but now sharing much of his years and years of research into Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot attitudes towards a settlement of the Cyprus problem.
Where to find Charis’s Substack:
Constantine Markides Mostly Myth
In true Cyprus style I am pretty sure I went to Constantine’s wedding before I had ever met him. But his sister is a pal and we had been through the ringer with the Famagusta Ecocity Project. So that is how I ended up at his wedding.
My best description of Mostly Myth is an ironic take on current affairs. This is from the About section.
“Desperate times call for disparate measures, so expect polytheistic shape-shifting and cross-pollination: fables, parables, tall tales, parodies, you name it. It’s a safe space for heresy and heretics. For errancy and emetics.”
For some Cyprus content, a mini series on his conscription in the Cyprus National Guard starts here.
Where to find Mostly Myth by Constantine Markides:
Kalimera Cyprus by Madeleine Nathanael
A fairly new publication that describes itself as “a collection of stories and recommendations from a small island in the Mediterranean called Cyprus”. So yes, this one, like mine, is about Cyprus but more from a travel and cultural perspective and from someone far from home.
For some mythbusting on Cyprus, check out this article.
Where to find Kalimera Cyprus by Madelenie Nathanael:
Insights from ExtraFemi
This one makes the grade because I met the author of ExtraFemi, Olorunfemi (Femi) Obasa, when we was in Cyprus. I hired him for some Sapienta projects and learned a lot in the process too. He describes Insights from ExtraFemi as “a left-brained digital strategy agency that has consistently helped our clients across Europe and West Africa solve market challenges”.
Here is a recent article on helping with seat assignments.
Where to find Insights from ExtraFemi:
Turkish Cypriots, anyone?
Where are the Turkish Cypriots, you might ask? As far as I can tell, Facebook remains the main place for vibrant debate among prominent Turkish Cypriot thinkers/public figures etc. So maybe they just aren’t on here. But if I missed anyone please let me know.
If you want my premium monthly in-depth product, check out Sapienta Country Analysis Cyprus and other deep-dive reports here. And if you can’t afford that but want the executive summary only for just €100/year, you can find that here on Substack, at Cyprus Pocket Brief.
Or keep these articles and hugely labour-intensive videos coming by supporting this publication, Sapienta Cyprus Snippets, for just €49 per year.