Judge a book by its cover?

When you have finished writing a book you heave a big sigh of relief but, unless you are J K Rowling or someone equally famous, you have to start thinking of the difficult things that have to be done before it can be published. One of the most important is the design of the cover.

My book is about Cyprus, but not the Cyprus that is well known today as an island of golden beaches, manicured golf courses and miles of waterfront hotels. In 1955 Cyprus was a little known island colony which was part of the British Empire. It started to make headlines when it became the scene of a violent insurrection against British rule.

Something to Write Home About is about a young man who is sent to Cyprus in 1956 on his first assignment as a reporter for a national newspaper. Becoming part of the noisy press pack that monopolises the only major hotel in the capital, Nicosia, is his first ordeal. He is about the only reporter who speaks Greek which causes jealousy and suspicion.

He soon discovers that away from the cities Cyprus was essentially a sleepy place. The people worked in agriculture and lived in villages many of which were mixed with Greeks and Turks living peacefully side by side. The priests had long supported the cause of 'Enosis' (union with Greece) but few of the ordinary people were so convinced. However, when the terrorist organisation EOKA started its campaign the people who were not so sure were intimidated into complying. At first the Turkish minority was sad that an artificial barrier was being erected to divide the two communities, but when serious violence erupted they realised that peaceful coexistence was at an end.

The cover picture I have designed with the help of a talented artist, Kristina Wheet, is of a mixed village in 1956 with both church and mosque. It illustrates the corrosive effect of the campaign of violence. The gap in the wall is symbolic of a path shared by both communities to get to and from the village. Because of violent clashes between Greeks and Turks, the security forces have had to block it with barbed wire and its use is now denied to both. The slogan 'EOKA' painted on the wall is a provocation by the Greek terrorist organisation proclaiming its presence in the village. In the background are the Kyrenia mountains which form a timeless backdrop to every part of the large central plain.

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