From July to September 2020, the Technical Committee on Culture organized the “Poetry in Times of Coronavirus” competition, an initiative aimed at capturing the emotional impact of COVID-19 through poetry. The project resulted in a short video featuring 10 self-recorded poems, five from Greek Cypriot poets and five from Turkish Cypriot poets, providing a platform for personal reflections on the pandemic.

After reviewing submissions, the Technical Committee on Culture selected 10 poems that best expressed the themes of isolation, resilience, and shared humanity during the crisis. These poems were then translated into Greek, Turkish, and English to ensure accessibility. Each poet recorded their poem from home, offering an intimate glimpse into their thoughts and emotions.

The final video featured contributions from Hüseyin Bahça, Anna Kouppanou, Nafia Akdeniz, Alexandra Galanou, Emel Kaya, Vasilka Hadjipapa, Tuğçe Tekhanlı, Vakis Loizides, Mehmet Kansu, and Kostas Patinios. It also included introductions by the Co-Chairs of the Technical Committee on Culture, Androulla Vassiliou and Kani Kanol, who addressed audiences in their native languages.

This project was part of the Technical Committees Support Facility, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP in coordination with OSASG-Cyprus.