Saroyan in (Western) Armenian: An audiobook brought to you by h-pem

"Ani" is a name I grew up around. It is the name of my sister and aunt. It was the name of a city I had heard so many things about, and had dreamed of visiting

Many lament the lack of enthusiasm about literature. In response, TUMO creative writing workshop leader Theresa Lin brings a fresh and sympathetic perspective to the current state of Armenian literature by detailing how Armenians can make the leap from preservation to innovation. The examples she mentions and the connections she draws are so striking and lucid that she just might have figured out exactly what we need—to think outside the box...

“Condemned as pornography for its eroticism, criticized by feminists for ‘objectifying women,’ and denounced by the Church as anti-Christian—Daniel Varoujan’s Pagan Songs survived a tumultuous reception when it was published in 1912 to begrudgingly become a classic of Armenian poetry.”

Famed Armenian poet Daniel Varoujan’s notorious work has finally been translated—in its entirety—into English, thanks to Hratch Demiurge. The volume also includes an extensive introduction, helpful notes, and appendices.

Now, if the opening of the book’s synopsis up top piqued your interest, be sure to read our exclusive piece by Demiurge, derived from the preface of his translation of Varoujan’s Pagan Songs («Հեթանոս երգեր» | “Hetanos Yerger”). 

Then, check out the trailer of "Taniel" («Դանիէլ»), a 2018 multi-award-winning arthouse short film by British writer and director Garo Berberian, which tells the story of the last months of the poet's life before his murder during the Armenian Genocide at the age of 31. You can find it in our video section below!