Atilla Tiriyaki published his debut novel, Cypriana, in 2017. Cypriana is centered around a young American-born Turkish Cypriot, Aziz, who returns to Cyprus following the death of his elderly grandfather. Cypriana is a funny and moving story that provides a rare insight into the lives, culture, and colorful characters that make up Northern Cyprus.
The book draws inspiration from Atilla’s own life, as he, himself, comes from a diverse background. Growing up in London and coming from a Turkish Cypriot family provided him with great insight to help in the creation and development of the key characters within the story.
Atilla made a career writing technical documentation within large corporations. It was a career break in 2016, which gave him the opportunity to create his first fictional book. A well-traveled individual, visiting over 50 countries has provided him with opportunities to not only have a wealth of experiences but also to observe a broad range of characters and personalities.
Atilla’s love of reading and traveling, coupled with his observational and storytelling skills, provides a style and experience for the reader that is both engaging and easy to follow. The author has a number of writing projects in the pipeline, so watch this space for future releases.
Cypriana is centred on a young American-born Turkish Cypriot, Aziz, who has to return to Cyprus following the death of his elderly grandfather. With his large and crazy extended family travelling from all over the world for the funeral, Aziz has an opportunity to go on a cultural journey of discovery as he reconnects with his family. Cypriana is a funny and moving story that provides a rare insight into the lives, culture and colourful characters that make up Northern Cyprus.
After the devastation of being left by his fiancé, just hours before his wedding, Aziz, an American-born Turkish Cypriot, relocated to London to start a new life. Just as he starts to get his life back on track, he receives news that his elderly Cypriot grandfather had passed away during a visit to London. His grandfather, a strong and opinionated man who had a significant influence on Aziz’s childhood, died peacefully in the night, surrounded by posters of half-naked women, in his grandson’s bedroom.
With Aziz and his family wanting to follow Turkish traditions, the race was on to not only get his grandfather’s body back to Cyprus but also to make all of the necessary arrangements for the funeral. From disasters that quickly ensue, with the wrong body arriving and Aziz having to become naturalised, Aziz recalls the various characters, cultures, and experiences he had long forgotten from his childhood.
This journey of discovery provides a unique perspective on Northern Cyprus, the culture, and customs that will make you laugh and cry. Ultimately, Aziz learns more about himself and his rather vast and crazy extended family, only to find that his relationship with his grandfather wasn’t quite as he had remembered.
