At the Limassol International Book Fair in November 2025, Odysseas Ioannou and Maria Kyriakou discuss how books became integral to their personal and creative lives. Kyriakou describes growing up in a family of booksellers, while Ioannou recalls formative encounters with literature and the sensory memories associated with reading.
The speakers consider the authors and books that shaped them, the attraction of discovering unfamiliar literary worlds and how returning to the same book at different ages can produce entirely new experiences. They also explain how recommendations, trusted readers, particular subjects and changing personal interests influence their choices.
The conversation examines literature’s relationship with artistic creation. Kyriakou discusses adapting literary works for the theatre, while Ioannou reflects on literature’s subtle influence on his songwriting and prose. Both argue that these influences remain present even when readers cannot remember particular sentences or passages.
They conclude that literature’s enduring value lies less in memorising words than in retaining the emotions and transformations produced by reading. Ioannou also advocates simplicity in writing, arguing that maturity involves discarding unnecessary ornamentation and using familiar language with precision.
Original Greek title: Ιστορίες Ανάγνωσης: Βιβλία και Δημιουργί
