DERYNEA: Today the funeral of the popular poet Antonis Katsantonis

The funeral of the popular poet Antonis Katsantonis, who passed away at the age of 82, will be held today.

Funeral services will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the church of All Saints in Deryneia.

Antonis Katsantonis came from a family with a rich poetic tradition. He was born in Deryneia in 1941. He studied English literature in London. He then settled in his hometown.

He began writing poetry in London in 1961. In 1972 he began to write systematically. He published the books T' oloaspron pezounin (1978), Tis Kyprous ta proitz̆ia (1986), Ta menallaia ton tjairon (2001), Ta kanis̆ia tis psys̆is mou 2008, Neos Kyklos 2010 and To nou mou ta posporka 2017, Porizia tis tradation 2021.

In his work, the world of Cyprus is depicted in relief with the traditions, the struggles of our people for social justice and peaceful coexistence.

Antonis Katsantonis has been honored with prizes and distinctions in poetry competitions. In 2018, he was honored with the Tevkros Anthia and Thodosis Pieridis Cultural Contribution Award, from the Central Committee of AKEL.

Since 2008 he has been a member of folk poetry competition review committees, as well as president of the Folk Poets and Friends of Folk Poetry Group.

His poems have been set to music by Adamos Katsantonis, Koullis Theodorou and have been performed by the music department of the "Vassilitzia" cultural group and by his son, musician and composer, Andreas.

In addition to poetry, plays and skits in the Cypriot dialect. His poems were published in various newspapers and anthologies of Cypriot poetry.

The death of Antonis Katsantonis is an irreparable loss for the literature of Cyprus.