Not in the Ornamental Teapot

by Erato Ioannou

Not in the Ornamental Teapot is a masterful reimagining of woman. Strong-minded and surprisingly audacious heroines challenge and deconstruct the roles assigned to them by dominant narratives and preconceptions. Voices of older women, which have been traditionally neglected in literature, are granted with space and freedom to articulate their stories. In spite of the traumas inflicted upon them [or because of them] these quiet matriarchs rise to protect what they hold holy—family, home, love.

52 pages, Paperback

Published September 30, 2020

About the author

Erato Ioannou is a Cypriot writer whose fiction explores identity, memory, and the thresholds between belonging and abandonment. She is the author of the short story collections "Cats Have It All" (2004) and "Not in the Ornamental Teapot" (2020), the latter translated in Greek, and Spanish, featuring the story 'Deserted' which was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize 2019. Her most recent novella, "Του Κανενός" - "Of Nobody" (2024), was shortlisted for both "The Reader's Awards - Τα Βραβεία του Αναγνώστη in Greece and the State Prize for Literature of Cyprus in the novella category. Erato’s work has been presented at international events, including Global Reads (Aga Khan Foundation, Canada) and Stockholm Writers’ Festival (Sweden). She is an alumna of the Fiction Writers Program at Oxbelly (2024) and the founding Chair of Room for Art.

Reviews

[Christos R. Tsiailis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this collection an amazing fast read. Steadfast loyalty to her writing style, Erato delivers short stories which are no short of political and social connotations. Rich as they are in their descriptions of every moment passing they have guided me by the hand to the tragic stories of people who -in their imaginative fluidity may very well have lived on the island of Cyprus at some point in history. A book that gave me both literary satisfaction and appreciation for the celebration of the difference that all humans are entitled to maintain. I am very happy I allowed myself to indulge in this teapot.