The Art in My Palm - Paperback

by Luke Icarus Simon (Author)

Quarter-Finalist, General Fiction, 2025 BookLife Prize by Publishers Weekly, USA

Longlisted, The Anglo-Hellenic League Runciman Award 2026, United Kingdom

Finalist-Debut Fiction, The Art In My Palm, 2025 Literary Global Book Awards USA

Finalist-LGBTQ Fiction, The Art In My Palm, 2025 Literary Global Book Awards USA

The Art In My Palm is a genre-defying debut novel blending fiction, memoir, dual narration, and real historical events, to tell a queer coming-of-age story of Demosthenes, a teenage boy growing up in Cyprus during one of the island's most turbulent eras. As the 51st anniversary of Cyprus's forced partition is marked in 2025, this timely and evocative novel sheds light on a legacy of colonisation, war, and resilience.Set between the divided streets of Nicosia and the migrant suburbs of Australia, the novel is a poignant exploration of cultural identity, intergenerational struggle, and the healing power of art.

The Art In My Palm is a deeply moving testament to survival, self-love, and the unbreakable will to create beauty from pain.

In an extraordinary achievement for a debut novel, excerpts from The Art In My Palm have already been published in prestigious Australian literary journals including Southerly, Overland, and Famous Reporter.