Dispute over EU Prize for Literature nomination for book about Eleni Foka

The book 'Kai polla epikranthi – I Eleni tis Karpasias' by Eurydice Pericleous-Papadopoulou has been shortlisted for the 2026 European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL). Eleni Foka, the subject of the book and a well-known activist, has requested the withdrawal of the title through her lawyer, Laris Vrachimis. Foka argues that the work is a biography based on her personal accounts and that labeling it as fiction degrades her experiences and personal dignity. Additionally, her legal team questions the book's eligibility, as the EUPL is restricted to works of fiction. The author, represented by Achilleas Emilianides, rejects these claims, stating that the book is a work of literature inspired by real events and persons that explicitly incorporates fictional elements. The author maintains that the inclusion of such elements was done with the knowledge and consent of those who provided testimonies, including Foka herself.