Read more
'This festive tale both warms the heart and chills the soul' -Josh Winning, author of The Shadow GlassRural Cyprus, 1925. Despo is recently married, heavily pregnant and deeply afraid. The twelve days of Christmas are beginning - the time when, according to local folklore, creatures known as kalikantzari come up from Hell to wreak havoc.
Meanwhile, her husband Loukas has troubles of his own. Struggling with dreams and desires he doesn't understand, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to an Englishman, a newcomer to the island.
In a village wreathed in superstition, Despo and Loukas must protect themselves and their unborn child from ominous forces at play.
About the author
Polis Loizou is a novelist, playwright, filmmaker and performance storyteller. Born and raised in Cyprus, he moved to the UK in 2001. His debut novel
Disbanded Kingdom was published by Cloud Lodge Books in 2018 and went on to be longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize. His second novel,
The Way it Breaks, is forthcoming in 2021. His short stories and creative nonfiction have been published in various anthologies and literary journals.
Summary
Rural Cyprus, 1925. The twelve days of Christmas are beginning - the time when, according to local folklore, creatures known as kalikantzari come up from Hell to wreak havoc. Despo is heavily pregnant and deeply afraid. Meanwhile, her husband Loukas finds himself irresistibly drawn to an Englishman, a newcomer to the island.
