Eleni Kyriacou - Editor
Eleni Kyriacou is an author, journalist, and editor.
She has two published novels, She Came To Stay, which was selected by Hachette for their Future Bookshelf initiative and is an Amazon number 1 bestseller, and The Unspeakable Acts Of Zina Pavlou, which was chosen as a BBC2 Behind the Covers TV Book Club pick.
Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Marie Claire, Grazia and Red, among others, and she has also edited national magazines. She has spent her career predominately in women’s publishing.
Born in London to Greek Cypriot parents, Eleni is particularly interested in stories about people who feel they don’t belong. She’s obsessed with the 1950s, but equally loves contemporary fiction.
You can find her on X, Insta and FB: @elenikwriter and her website is www.elenikwriter.com
If you’d like to work with Eleni, get in touch with our Writers Support team; tell us about your book and what you’d like support with, and we’ll help you identify your next steps.
Testimonials
Simon N
Alex A
Edie W
Why we love Eleni
Eleni is an award-winning editor and journalist. She has experience across broadsheets, magazines and websites and has edited two national magazines and also worked in digital media. As an editor who aims to encourage, Eleni always gives feedback to authors in an enthusiastic and approachable manner.
What Eleni says about editing
Everyone needs someone on their side, and I’d love to be on yours. I’ve been lucky enough to receive so much encouragement during my writing journey, so I know how exhilarating it can be when someone sees what you’re trying to do and steers you in the right direction.
My goal is to offer honest, kind advice. I won’t give you the answers (those can only come from you) but I’ll get you to ask yourself all the right questions, to understand the areas where you’re doing well and look carefully at those where more work may be needed.
Writing is wonderful, but can also be ridiculously difficult. More than anything, my goal is to give you practical tools so you can take your work onto the next stage – whatever that may be. I’m particularly interested in stories with a strong sense of time and place, and where women take centre stage. I’m happy to accept line editing and developmental editing. I can also offer a follow-up session if desired.
What Eleni works on
Manuscript Assessment
Developmental Editing
Agent Submission Pack assessment
Post-editorial guidance
Line-editing
Copy-editing
Proof-reading
Opening Section Review
Genres Eleni specialises in
Eleni's published books
She Came to Stay
London, 1952. Dina Demetriou has travelled from Cyprus for a better life. She’s certain that excitement, adventure and opportunity are out there, waiting – if only she knew where to look.
Her passion for clothes and flair for sewing land her a job repairing the glittering costumes at the notorious Pelican Revue. It’s here that she befriends the mysterious and beautiful Bebba.
With her bleached-blonde hair and an appetite for mischief, Bebba is like no Greek Dina has ever met before. She guides Dina around the fashionable shops, bars and clubs of Soho, and Dina finally feels life has begun.
But Bebba has a secret. And as thick smog brings the city to a standstill, the truth emerges with devastating results. Dina’s new life now hangs by a thread. What will be left when the fog finally clears? And will Dina be willing to risk everything to protect her future?
The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou
London, 1954. Zina Pavlou, a Cypriot grandmother, waits quietly in the custody of the Metropolitan police. She can’t speak their language, but she understands what their wary looks mean: she has been accused of the brutal murder of her daughter-in-law.
Eva Georgiou, Greek interpreter for the Met, knows how it feels to be voiceless as an immigrant woman. While she works as Zina’s translator, her obsession with the case deepens, and so too does her bond with the accused murderer.
Zina can’t speak for herself. She can’t clear her own name. All she can do is wait for the world to decide…
Is she a victim? Or is she a killer?
