First generation Australian of Greek Cypriot heritage Helena Kidd has won in the ‘Literature’ category at this year’s Cyprus Diaspora Awards 2024.
The awards were part of this year’s Cyprus Diaspora Forum in Limassol, which aimed at bringing together Cypriot diaspora communities, influential figures from the public and private sectors in Cyprus, media, academia and civil society.
Helena said she became an ‘accidental’ author a few years ago when she found her mother Maria Avraam’s secret diary and with her permission, Helena gave a voice to its buried contents in her novel, When The Past Awakens.
The novel was shortlisted for The Victorian Community History Awards in 2020. Maria passed away eight months later on 16 November 2021 aged 98.
From 2022 to 2024, Helena was compelled to write a companion novel, When The Past Is Left. Finalising Maria’s long life with her heartfelt emotional story, encompassing topics of grief and caring for an ageing mother.
Following her award win, Helena told The Greek Herald she was honoured.
“Being nominated then winning the award has made me realise I represent Australia in literature for all writers of the Cyprus diaspora. We are important in the community in telling our stories in our own ways and expressions,” Helena said.
“Cyprus as a small island is thriving today and so is its Cypriots and its Diaspora. I am proud of Maria Avraam for taking the chance and traveling to Australia in 1957 when Cyprus was not what it is today and giving us, her children, a chance at a better future than she had. With this, Maria has been successful in taking herself from thinking she was ordinary to being ‘Extraordinary’.”
