Set against the backdrop of a divided Cyprus, And a Wake-Up follows a young soldier whose routine guard duty begins to unravel under the weight of an unexplained voice. What initially appears to be fatigue develops into a persistent presence that confronts him with fragments of a past marked by violence and silence.
The protagonist, Nicholas, gradually loses the ability to ignore what he hears. The voice evokes memories not entirely his own, referring to crimes buried beneath narratives of patriotism and to experiences that remain largely unspoken. As the pressure intensifies, he abandons his post and begins a journey across the island, moving through isolated outposts, coastal landscapes and a mountain monastery.
Memory and landscape
The novella places the physical and historical geography of Cyprus at its centre. The division of the island is presented not only as a political reality but as an enduring condition that shapes personal and collective memory. The Green Line emerges as a symbolic and literal boundary, reflecting unresolved tensions rather than closure.
Through Nicholas’s movement across these spaces, the narrative connects individual experience with broader historical continuity. The past is depicted as present and active, embedded in the land and in the lives of those who inhabit it.
Themes of inheritance and responsibility
The work addresses themes of inherited guilt and intergenerational trauma. The voice heard by the protagonist is not confined to a single identity, suggesting a shared burden that extends beyond individual responsibility.
Rather than offering resolution, the novella focuses on confrontation with suppressed histories and the difficulty of articulating them. It examines how silence can persist across generations and how personal awakening may challenge established narratives.
Publication and recognition
Written by Pavlos Pamborides and translated into English by Despina Pirketti, the book was shortlisted for the National Prize for Literature in 2020.
And a Wake-Up presents a concise but layered narrative that engages with the complexities of memory, identity and historical continuity in Cyprus.
