Busy after many things, Lina has pursued her multiple talents over the years. An A student and school president, she excelled in sports (third best in all of Greece in 100m hurdles), in painting (was offered a scholarship for the School of Arts in Beijing), in music (school and other choirs) and in writing (several poems and short stories published in local newspapers). An A students in all her four master’s degrees (English, Spanish, and German Language and Literature; MBA in Marketing/ Management), Lina enjoyed taking part in the English Theater Club and in the fencing team. She speaks seven languages.
She has taught at the University of Trier and Intercollege (a private university in Cyprus) and presented her research in many European countries, the US, and Australia. She has also worked as a business consultant and trainer for the Human Resource Development Authority in Cyprus. She is currently setting up the post-secondary Purchasing and Supply Management Program for the Ministry of Education. Lina has received numerous awards for her entrepreneurial activity, the Olive Park Oleastro and the organic olive oil Oleastro (most recently the BIO Award 2014 and the Innovation Award 2013).
Lina published her first novel, The Venetian, in 2012 and became the first Cypriot novelist shortlisted for the European Book Prize 2012. Her book is currently taught in the Hellenic Program of Columbia University in New York. The Italian translation, Il Veneziano, has been presented in several events under the auspices of the Regione Veneto, the Provincia di Rovigo, and the Italian Embassy in Cyprus. For the first time, the work of a Cypriot writer has been presented at La Fiera Delle Parole, one of Italy’s largest book exhibitions.
