Prominent Cypriot educator and author Kostas Katsonis dies at age 76

Prominent Cypriot author, philologist, and educator Kostas Katsonis has passed away at the age of 76. Born in 1949 in Aradippou, Katsonis dedicated 38 years to the public education system of Cyprus, retiring in 2009 from the position of First Education Officer. He held a PhD in children's and youth literature from the University of Thessaly and was a leading figure in the field. Katsonis was a founding member and former president of the Cyprus Association on Books for Young People (IBBY Cyprus). His extensive literary work included poetry, prose, historical studies, and numerous articles in magazines and newspapers across Cyprus and Greece. He had been nominated for the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) by both the Cypriot and Greek sections of IBBY. Throughout his career, he received several distinctions, including the G. F. Pierides Award from the Union of Cyprus Writers in 2021. The Minister of Education, Athina Michaelidou, and the Deputy Ministry of Culture issued official statements on Wednesday praising his lifelong contribution to culture and education.