Established in 2006, it is a non-profit cultural organisation dedicated to the promotion of all forms of culture, in particular literature and the use of language. It is a platform for substantial cultural exchange between Cypriot and International culture. The island is uniquely positioned on the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa and as a member of the European Union, situated on its south-eastern boundary, is offering a vehicle for increased interaction and intercultural dialogue between Europe, the Mediterranean basin and the near East.

One of the main objectives of Ideogramma is to respect and support all languages and dialects (and by association the people that speak them), because as Luis Aragon reminds,"Literature is a serious business. It is first and foremost the face of a people”. It actively encourages all writers and poets to read in the original language, inviting the audience to participate as if listening to music. Once the sound of a language is familiar it is no longer threatening and brings the speaker and listener closer together, forming bonds.

Ideogramma was founded and is managed by Nora Hadjisotiriou (marketing & PR specialist, project manager) and Lily Michaelides (poet, prose writer, project manager).

It launched in:

• 2013 - LIT FEST - International Literary festival, to the sea-girt shores of Cyprus (biannual)
• 2014 - POETRY FEST - International Festival for Young Poets @ the First Step (biannual)
• 2017 – POETRY SLAM – International Poetry Slam Cyprus (annual)

https://www.facebook.com/IdeogrammaCyprus

Lily Michaelides

Lily Michaelides lives in Nicosia where she works and creates.
She attended a course on Secretarial Studies and Public Relations.

She has published,

by Melani Publications (Athens):

• Him ... stories of men (2019)
• Arena, a bilingual poetry collection, (2014)
• The city needs no recommendations, prose (2011)
• Innuendos (Ypenigmoi), a poetry collection (2007)
• Self-portrait, a bilingual edition (2023)

and by Govostis Publications (Athens) the poetry collections:

• Remembrance of a Dawn, a bilingual poetry collection (2004)
• Shapes and Roads in Relief... (2003)
• The Alchemy of Time (2001)
• Drops from the Maasai Land (Nicosia 2017)
• Pagidevmeno Metaxi (Entrapped Silk), EN TYPIS, January (2021)

Her poems have been published in newspapers, literary magazines and anthologies in Cyprus and abroad and have been translated into many languages.

Her sixth book, Arena, was presented in Nicosia at Theatro Ena (March 2015), in Athens at To Spiti tis Kyprou (May 2015) and in Thessaloniki at Ianos Book Shop (December 2015).

Her third poetic collection Remembrance of a Dawn, was presented at the Nehru Centre in London in May 2004, and

Her fourth prose narratives, Him … stories of men, was presented in London by the Cyprus High Commission.

June 2013 - May 2020, board member, Cyprus PEN Centre, responsible for Public and International Relations.

Since 2006 (owner & director) organisers of cultural events local and international, primarily in literature (see profile of Ideogramma).

Professional Experience /current & selected completed projects

Participation in Literary Festivals

Yerevan Book Fair, Armenia	October 2022
Poetry & Wine, Ptuj, Slovenia	August 2021
Vois Vive Poetry Festival, Sete, France	July 2020
Synergy Symposium, Berlin – Athens, Berlin	October 2018
International Poetry Festival in Granada, Spain	May 2018
5th International Kistretch Poetry festival, Kenya	October 2017
Ausland Poetry Meeting, Berlin	November 2016
1st Athens World Poetry Festival, Greece	September 2013
Literary Ark Yerevan, Armenia	October 2012
PEN Annual Meeting, Cyprus	September 2011

Organiser of Writer Presentations and Book Launches (selected)

The Outstanding Leadership of Gandhi by Pascal Alan Nazareth Presentation of the Greek edition of the book Presented, at the State Library, in Nicosia	October 2018
International Symposium “Woman in Art, Literature and the Society”, PEN Centre Cyprus	June 2018
Yperkaenophanis by Constantinos Papageorghiou Poetry collection presented in Limassol	November 2017
The Hour of the Star by Clarise Lispector, Presentation of the Greek edition of the book Presented, at Shoe Factory in Nicosia	April 2017
All that I would want you to know Poetry collection by Maria Kepola and Andreas Timotheou presented in Larnaca	May 2013
The Five Seasons by Constantinos Papageorghiou Poetry collection presented in Limassol and Nicosia	June & October 2012
Ersi Sotiropoulos, An awarded writer from Greece presented at the Shoe Factory Cultural centre, Nicosia	February 2011
Tomas Tranströmer The Swedish Nobel Laureate Presented at the ARTE Cultural Centre, Nicosia	March 2010

Organiser of Literary Events

Poetry and Music Two poetic events on the occasion of the painting exhibition of the Greek artist Asteris Gekas, at ARTos Foundation, Nicosia	April 2013
Vivid Poetry Allios, a poetry performance Sole organiser of the event, in collaboration with the Dpt of Applied Arts of the Frederick University, Cyprus. Four Cypriot poets, two based in London UK (AlevAdil and John Michael Mouskos) and two based in Cyprus (PambosKouzalis and Lily Michaelides) came together. Each poet created two poetic actions (involving graphics, music, theatre, dance, filming) and all together created a unified performance. The Arts dpt created a series of 43 posters based on the poems which were exhibited for a week.	12 March 2012
Poetic Collection Sole organiser of the event staged to celebrate International Day of Peace, on behalf of the UNESCO Chair of the University of Nicosia (University of Nicosia – Amphitheatre)	21 September 2006
Synesthesia – Multi Media Production Key member of the Organising Committee with the participation of Cypriot and acclaimed Greek Poets (Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) Theatre)	May 2003

Nora Hadjisotiriou

Business, Marketing & PR Consultant

A Marketing and Public Relations specialist, with an excellent record of managing annual and ad hoc promotional events.

Since 2006 - (founder partner & director) organisers of cultural events local and international, primarily in literature (see profile of Ideogramma).

Since 2004 - (founder and director) produces high calibre artistic events (primarily music), provides expertise to innovative festivals (IMF), is partner in European and international cultural projects (CROWD II and III)

Marketing and PR Manager for Rothmans International (Cyprus based) for the local company and the Middle East for over 20 years (1878 – 1999) managing annual budgets of C£2 mln (€3.5 mln) for the former and St£10 (€11.7 mln) for the latter.

Projects (excluding Ideogramma)

Performance 101: Mastering the art of performance poetry (AC) series of 4 workshops on writing and performing Oral Poems	May – Sep 2023
International Motion Festival (AC) a multi day biannual festival on motion graphics,; unique in Cyprus and ME	since 2013
Screening of the 2022 Varna Film Festival, Phinikoudhes, Larnaca	12 May 2023
CROWD II (AC) one of six partners, EACEA project	since 2019
Al-Mutanabbi Street starts in Nicosia ... 2023 (AC), we join other international organisations in commemorating the bombing of the street (Bagdad, Iraq), known as the Booksellers Street	2 Mar 2023

Past, completed, ad hoc projects

WW Reading for the Dead of the Pandemic (AC) partners with the International LiteratureBerlin; coorganised with Goethe-Institut Zypern	Sep 21
Worldwide screening of the film ‘Shoah’ (AC) partner, in the global event organised by the Berlin Literature Festival	Jan 2020
IΠoet 2019 (AC) consultants to the project; young students aged 14 - 19	Sep 19 – Jan 20
Worldwide Reading for Freedom of Expression (AC) partner in the global event organised by Berlin Literature Festival	11 Sep 2019
Concert of the World Youth Choir and the Cyprus Youth Orchestra (AC) Kypria Festival, premier cultural festival of the island; management	Sep 2012
Concert (AC) In memory of the late Minister of Education and Culture	Jan 2008
Concert by the Cyprus Youth Orchestra (AC) Kypria Festival, premier cultural festival of the island; management	Sep 2007, /08, /09, /10, /11
Easter Concerts (AC), with international and Cypriot musicians and artists	2004, /05, /06
Caterina Cornaro (AC) opera production	2004
Ayia Napa Winter Swimmers Festival (NH) project coordinator	Jan 2024
YPO Gold Members Meeting in Cyprus (NH) Project Manager	May 2019
Cyprus Open Studios (NH) partner and coorganiser	2016 - 2019
Cyprus Conference (NH) invited speaker at the conference held at the London Metropolitan University	2011, 2013, 2014