Newsroom
You could hear it before you saw it, the hum of conversations, the laughter of kids dragging parents toward the next reading tent, the sound of pages being signed and stories being shared. Nicosia Book Fest celebrated its 10th birthday this year, and it did so with the kind of joy that only comes when people genuinely love what they’re doing.
More than 12,000 visitors showed up over the weekend, turning the Strovolos Municipal Park into a happy jumble of readers, writers, publishers, and caffeine-fueled bookworms. With over 80 events, from author talks to creative workshops, this was the festival’s biggest turnout yet, proof that, yes, in the age of screens and scrolls, Cyprus still knows how to curl up with a good book.
Organized by the Prometheus Research Institute, the festival started ten years ago with a modest goal: to bring books closer to people and make literature part of everyday life. A decade later, it’s become one of the island’s most beloved cultural events, blending ideas, stories, and community spirit in a way that feels uniquely Cypriot.
“People don’t just come here for books anymore,” one volunteer said with a grin. “They come because it feels like family.”
And that’s really what set this year apart: the volunteers. Hundreds of them, from students to retirees, kept things running smoothly, guiding crowds, helping authors, and keeping the festival’s heartbeat strong.
Behind the scenes, dozens of sponsors and supporters, from the Deputy Ministry of Culture to Eurobank, OPAP, and Luno Coffee, helped make sure the 10th edition sparkled.
It’s no small feat to keep a cultural event growing for ten straight years, but Nicosia Book Fest seems to have cracked the code: make it about people first, books second.
As the lights dimmed and the last coffee cups were stacked away, organizers were already dreaming about what’s next. The message they left was simple:
“See you in October 2026 for an even bigger story.”
