SHE CAME TO STAY
Eleni Kyriacou
Hodder & Stoughton Paperback, £8.99
For more information please contact Myrto Kalavrezou: Myrto.Kalavrezou@hodder.co.uk / 0203 122 7082
Debut novelist andTheFuture Bookshelf alumni Eleni Kyriacou brings us the compellingstory of one Greek Cypriot immigrant as she makes her way in the grimy and glittering streets of Soho, Londonin1952. Inspired by the author’sparents, She Came to Stayis an emotionally charged story about friendship and fallout, hope and heartbreak, and the consequences of our darkest secrets.
For fans of Kate Furnivall and Rachel Rhys.
In a city of strangers, who can you trust?
London, 1952. Dina Demetriou has travelled from Cyprus for a better life. She’s certain that excitement, adventure and opportunity are out there, waiting – if only she knew where to look.
Her passion for clothes and flair for sewing land her a job repairing the glittering costumes at the notorious Pelican Revue. It’s here that she befriends the mysterious and beautiful Bebba.
With her bleached-blonde hair and an appetite for mischief, Bebba is like no Greek Dina has ever met before. She guides Dina around the fashionable shops, bars and clubs of Soho, and Dina finally feels life has begun.
But Bebba has a secret. And as thick smog brings the city to a standstill, the truth emerges with devastating results. Dina’s new life now hangs by a thread. What will be left when the fog finally clears? And will Dina be willing to risk everything to protect her future?
‘When you’re caught between two cultures, you feel different – not quite one nationality, not quite the other –whether that’s in today’s Britain or the fog-filled streets of the 1950s. I’ve never read a story about coming here as a young Cypriot woman, as my mother did, so I had to write it. There are so few stories published that reflect the lives of immigrants both decades ago and today. And if our experiences aren’t reflected, we’re invisible, non-people, forever explaining our tricky surnames with brief potted histories before the questioner loses interest. This story is about a woman in the 1950s risking everything for a better life in England. Women, men and children still do this every day around the world.’ Eleni Kyriacou
The Future Bookshelf was set up to help discover unpublished authors from underrepresented backgrounds, working towards making the publishing industry more open and accessible. Eleni was selected by the initiative in 2018. You can read more about TFB and Eleni’s story by following this link: www.thebookseller.com/news/future-bookshelf-names-its-class-2018-890501
Eleni is available for interview and feature writing.
For more information please contact Myrto Kalavrezou: Myrto Kalavrezou@hodder.co.uk / 0203 122 7082
Eleni Kyriacou is an award-winning editor and journalist. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Marie Claire and Red, among others. She’s edited national magazines and is now freelance. Eleni lives in London. She Came to Stay is her first book.
@elenikwriter | elenikwriter.com
My Review
'She came to stay' is a beautifully written story of what life was like in 1950s London for Cypriot immigrants. Not only does Eleni Kyriacou tell a page-turning story, but her turn of phrase is exquisite. So inspiring is this eloquent phraseology in a commercial fiction novel that I am going to cite it as inspiration for my Masters. I am telling all my friends to read this book as it has truly stayed with me. I will never forget the way she evokes the London smog or her description of spices, ' the aroma of yellow spices chased her all the way to the third floor' - so evocative and memorable. There is an undercurrent of menace that runs throughout the book, also extremely well portrayed. The characters are truly lifelike and if I'm honest, this is not just the kind of book I love reading, but the kind of book I aspire to write. Hard to believe this is a debut novel. For me, it's the stand out novel of the year so far. I love it. Bravo.
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