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Christy Lefteri

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Christy Lefteri
Born
Christy George Lefteri

1980
Alma mater
Years active2009–present
Children1

Christy George Lefteri (born 1980) is an English novelist and lecturer at Brunel University London. Her second novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo (2019) became a Sunday Times bestseller and won the Aspen Words Literary Prize.

Early life and education

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Lefteri was born to Greek Cypriot refugee parents who met in London after fleeing the 1974 invasion; her paternal grandparents ran shops in Brixton and Tottenham.[1] Lefteri grew up on estates in Islington and Edmonton before moving out to the suburbs.[2] She attended Southgate School. She went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English, and a Master of Arts (MA) and PhD in Creative Writing, all from Brunel University London. She then studied Psychoanalysis.[3]

Career

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Lefteri's debut novel A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible was published via Quercus in April 2009. The novel is told from the perspectives of three different characters amidst the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.[4][5] A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible was longlisted for the 2010 Edinburgh First Book Award[6] and a 2012 Dublin Literary Award.[7]

For six years, Lefteri worked as a psychotherapist at a central London hospital. In response to the Syrian civil war and refugee crisis, Lefteri felt compelled to help and volunteered at the Hope Centre in Athens for two summers.[2]

Inspired by her time in Athens, combined with her own parents' experiences, Lefteri returned to writing. In a six-way auction in 2018, Zaffre (a Bonnier Books imprint) acquired the rights to publish Lefteri's second novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo in May 2019.[8] The novel follows the journey of two Syrian refugees named Nuri and Afra. The titular beekeeper Mustafa is based on Ryad Alsous, an academic at the University of York and formerly Damascus University.[9] With over a million copies sold internationally as of 2023,[10] The Beekeeper of Aleppo became The Sunday Times' third bestselling fiction paperback of 2020,[11] made the Richard & Judy Book Club list,[12] won the 2020 Aspen Words Literary Prize,[13] and was runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize in the fiction category.[14] In addition, the audiobook version, narrated by Art Malik, was shortlisted for a British Book Award.[15]

In 2020, Manilla Press (another Bonnier Books imprint) acquired the rights to publish Lefteri's third novel Songbirds in July 2021.[16] The novel is centered around the disappearance of a Sri Lankan domestic worker named Nisha, based on a real-life case of five migrant women and two children disappearing from Cyprus.[17] Songbirds made The Sunday Times top 100 bestseller list of 2022.[18]

Lefteri reunited with Manilla Press for her fourth novel The Book of Fire in August 2023.[19] With the backdrop of forest wildfires on a Greek island, the novel deals with a family's trauma.[20] Lefteri had witnessed the 2018 Attica wildfires firsthand.[21]

Adaptations

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The Beekeeper of Aleppo was adapted for stage by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler. Directed by Miranda Cromwell and starring Roxy Faridany and Alfred Clay as Afra and Nuri respectively, the play had its world premiere in February 2023 at the Nottingham Playhouse. The production subsequently went on a UK and Ireland tour.[22][23]

Personal life

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Lefteri has a daughter.[10]

Bibliography

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Novels

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References

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  1. ^ McCormick, Penny (5 August 2021). "Writer's Block with Christy Lefteri". The Gloss. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b Lefteri, Christy (12 May 2019). "Extreme trauma leaves a legacy of pain for victims – and their children". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Christy Lefteri". Marianne Gunn O'Connor. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  4. ^ Robshaw, Brandon (23 April 2011). "A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible, By Christy Lefteri". The Independent. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  5. ^ "A Watermelon A Fish And A Bible - Christy Lefteri". Female First. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Readers' First Book Award 2010" (PDF). Edinburgh International Book Festival. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  7. ^ "A Watermelon, a Fish, and a Bible". Dublin Literary Award. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  8. ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (25 September 2018). "Parkin wins 'The Beekeeper of Aleppo' for Zaffre". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  9. ^ Weston, Phoebe (14 December 2021). "'I could be a bee in a hive': the real-life Beekeeper of Aleppo on life in Yorkshire". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  10. ^ a b Szewczyk, Elaine (29 September 2023). "The Forest Fires of Greece Wreathe Christy Lefteri's Latest Novel". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  11. ^ "The Sunday Times bestsellers of the year: nonfiction and fiction". The Sunday Times. 27 December 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  12. ^ Chandler, Mark (20 February 2020). "Richard & Judy Book Club features Gregory, Lefteri and Gayle". The Bookseller. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  13. ^ Travers, Andrew (16 April 2020). "Christy Lefteri's 'The Beekeeper of Aleppo' wins Aspen Words Literary Prize". Aspen Times. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Chanel Miller's memoir 'Know My Name' wins a prestigious book award". Gulf Today. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Bonnier Books UK shortlisted for five British Book Awards". Bonnier Books. 20 March 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  16. ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (1 October 2020). "Manilla to publish new novel from Christy Lefteri". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  17. ^ Brennan, Marjorie (13 July 2021). "Christy Lefteri: 'No one searched for these women. That didn't shock me, that made me angry'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  18. ^ Hackett, Laura (16 December 2022). "The Sunday Times Bestsellers List — 100 top sellers of 2022". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 7 April 2025.(subscription required)
  19. ^ Brown, Lauren (14 April 2023). "Manilla Press snares Lefteri's 'dazzling' new novel The Book of Fire". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  20. ^ Wong Man Shun (9 September 2023). "Book review: Christy Lefteri's The Book Of Fire explores trauma and catharsis". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  21. ^ Sweeney, Tanya (15 July 2021). "Christy Lefteri : 'I had a bestseller but something was not right'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2 October 2024.(subscription required)
  22. ^ Millward, Tom (3 January 2023). ""The Beekeeper of Aleppo" world premiere reveals cast". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  23. ^ Ryan, Anya (2023-02-09). "The Beekeeper of Aleppo review – harrowing refugee tale reaches the stage". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
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