Maloris does not like to write about everyday banalities. “There is no point writing about the obvious, no need to remind people of what they already know.” He doesn’t like to explore ordinary points of view by society but rare situations, relationships, the Cyprus problem… anything that triggers the mind. “I am against all messages,” he says.

Maloris, who has published three short story and two poetry collections and who won the State Award for Short story twice – in 1997 and 2003, also does not write a lot as, in “real life”, he is actually a medical doctor. The gastroenterologist studied medicine in Greece and then worked for seven years in Johannesburg, South Africa in his specialty. He returned to Cyprus in 1992 where he practices gastroenterology at Limassol’s Ygeia polyclinic. However, he has been into poetry since his college days and has been writing for 25 years.

Maloris does not like to write about everyday banalities. “There is no point writing about the obvious, no need to remind people of what they already know.” He doesn’t like to explore ordinary points of view by society but rare situations, relationships, the Cyprus problem… anything that triggers the mind. “I am against all messages,” he says.

Maloris, who has published three short story and two poetry collections and who won the State Award for Short story twice – in 1997 and 2003, also does not write a lot as, in “real life”, he is actually a medical doctor. The gastroenterologist studied medicine in Greece and then worked for seven years in Johannesburg, South Africa in his specialty. He returned to Cyprus in 1992 where he practices gastroenterology at Limassol’s Ygeia polyclinic. However, he has been into poetry since his college days and has been writing for 25 years.

FROM POETRY TO PROSE AND BACK

Along with his need to express himself came the need to write prose – something he used to suppress for many years as not to let it stifle his poetry. Since 1997, however, he has been writing both, but is now returning to poetry. In literary circles, Maloris is considered to be writing little, but his main difficulty is actually finding the time to write in between his busy working life.

“However, I also do not want to submit myself to the pressure of ‘having to’ write, especially since, being a perfectionist, I never publish anything before I consider it absolutely final.”

His short stories, used to be so unusual, that the jury for his first state literature award was undecided as to whether they should consider his book poetry or prose.

“It is true that my first stories, due to the sometimes surrealistic descriptions and the sporadic poetic elements, were not easily understood, but I believe that my subsequent short story books are more direct.”

Maloris’ inspiration does not come directly from the outside world, but from inside himself, his thoughts and reading. He finds nature, contrary to the common belief, uninspiring due to its predictability. His definition of a good prose is “the creation of interesting characters involved in a crisis under extraordinary and unusual conditions”.

He enjoys reading anything from newspapers to astrophysics and tries to keep up with the most important current novels and essays.

“Reading allows you to escape singularity and live multiple lives, it helps you to get over this obsession with only one aspect of life”. I like to show things the world has no time or willingness to look at, to offer a new way of looking at wishes, relationships, to open new doors. I detach myself from the ordinary point of view, appealing to the few who enjoy doing the same.”

Apart from being a writer, the doctor also enjoys photography. A hobby he has pursued since the age of 12 and to which he applies the same way of looking at things from an unusual angle. A hobby which he is hoping to find more time for and a hobby that also figures vividly in his short story, The invisible balloons. Maloris also likes pets and rock music which also feature often in his writings and one of his future projects includes short stories about how rock songs affected a certain period and certain days of his life.

Currently, he is in the process of writing a novel, is working on a short story collection and on a poetry collection. He also wants to write a play.

“I’m not quite sure when and if all will materialize, but everything is in progress. Due to my demanding profession I cannot focus on one piece of work for long, the distractions are sometimes too many. I believe that people who enjoy literature that stretches the mind will someday meet my work, and if my work is good it will stand the test of time.”

“The Cyprus Weekly”, May 20th 2016.