The Praise for Christy’s work is outstanding
Brought up in London, Christy Lefteri is the child of Cypriot refugees. She is a lecturer in creative writing at Brunel University. The Beekeeper of Aleppo was born out of her time working as a volunteer at a Unicef supported refugee centre in Athens. Find out more here.
Aspen Words Literary Prize was won by Christy earlier this year which is awarded to an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture. Previous winners include Tayari Jones for An American Marriage and Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West.
Praise for The Beekeeper of Aleppo
‘A story of loss, love, resilience and hope … it’s impossible not to be moved by Lefteri’s plea for humanity and perhaps inspired too’
The Observer
‘A redemptive tale of hope in the midst of shocking adversity’
Irish Independent
‘A sweeping, well-told story of social value’
Metro
‘Heartbreaking at times, this story of fear, loss and survival gives an emotionally charged insight into what life is like for refugees facing the depravity of predators and needing the compassion of strangers’
Candis magazine
‘In The Beekeeper she has created an utterly convincing and harrowing novel about the will to survive and the enduring power of love’
Sunday Mirror
‘A relevant, timely book, but impresses most as a compassionate and truthful character study … an important and necessary novel that humanises the dispossessed who are all too often demonised’
Herald Scotland
‘You care deeply about the characters’
Sunday Times
‘A hugely important novel for our times, this is a beautifully written and poignant tale of the best and worst of humanity’
The Sun
‘Lefteri shows the refugee crisis through the eyes of the men, women and children who struggle to reach our shores . . . parts of this book will break your heart but amid the hardship, there’s laughter, love and hope’
Sunday Express
‘Powerful, thought-provoking and beautifully crafted . . . unforgettable’
Choice magazine
‘A haunting and resonant story . . . Lefteri perceptively and powerfully documents the horrors of the Syrian civil war and the suffering of innocent civilians. Readers will find this deeply affecting for both its psychological intensity and emotional acuity’
Publisher’s Weekly
‘Heart-breaking yet full of hope … a moving and thought-provoking look at a worldwide humanitarian crisis that still shows no signs of abating’
Daily Express
‘A haunting book that shines a spotlight on a subject that seems to have faded from public and political consciousness’
Big Issue in the North
‘Lefteri has also cleverly and credibly evoked how the power of the mind can alter a person’s perception of reality to allow them to cope with unthinkable and unspeakable events. She has skilfully balanced the ugliness of war with exquisite inspiration’
Sunday Independent
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