They say a good book can change the fate of the person. For that same purpose, the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Union organized a meeting-discussion ahead of the Book Day on February 20, 2018, at the Hamazkayin Armenia Office.
Famous writers, literary critics, book publishers, painters, culture-loving young people and students, and just fine friends of Hamazkayin members, participated in the meeting.
At the beginning of the event, the Hamazkayin Armenia Office Director Nare Mikaelian welcomed the audience, spoke about the agenda of the day, the meaning and importance of the book in Armenian reality, and then invited all attendees to take part in the meeting-discussion.
Hagop Havatian, Director of the Vahe Setian Publishing House and Hamazkayin Lucy Tutunjian Art Gallery, spoke about the historical roots of establishing the Hamazkayin Publishing House in 1931 in Beirut.
Speaking about the recent years’ achievements of the Publishing House, Mr. Havatian stated that the Hamazkayin Publishing House is always trying to feel the pulse of the book publishing sphere. By means of extensive publishing, the Hamazkayin Publishing House gives an opportunity to Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian writers to publish their works, and makes them accessible to wide circles.
They also spoke about the problems of book publishing in the Diaspora, emphasizing the fact that the publishing work in the Diaspora is largely carried out through the active participation of educational and cultural institutions as well as the private sector.
Hagop Havatian proposed his colleagues at the meeting to seek joint solutions for those problems. He also informed about Hamazkayin's willingness to take practical steps for that matter.
Literary critic and Editor-in-chief of Antares Media Holding, Archmenik Nikoghosyan, welcomed the audience and spoke about the recent achievements and the problems of book publishing in Armenia. Emphasizing the importance of improving the book publication and sales, libraries and bookstores, Archmenik Nikoghosyan also proposed to make joint efforts and cooperate with Hamazkayin, including also the professional consultations, discussions and cultural exchanges and mutual visits.
Director of the Armenian Literature Institute Vardan Devrikian, Director of the Publishing House of the Union of Writers of Armenia, Shant Mkrtchian, Dean of YSU Faculty of Philology, Artsrun Avagian, Head of the Department of Diaspora Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Science, Karen Mnatsakanian, painter Haghtanak Shahumian, literary critic Susanna Haroutiunian, poet Hrant Alexanyan and others participated in the discussion.
After the discussion, the winners of the Facebook Contest, dedicated to the Book Day, were awarded. Exceptional publications of Hamazkayin were granted to Kevork Gyulumyan (Armenian Mythology by Sargis Harutyunyan), Naira Khachibabian (The Snow, Orhan Pamuk), Ani Avedissian (Anthology of the Western Armenian Literature), Marish Grigorian (Collection of Avedis Aharonyan’s Scientific Articles), Marina Ohanessian (The Sun’s Dwelling Place, S.Gharabaghtsyan), Mariam Aloyan (My Anush's Odyssey, P. Snabian), Tatev Avedisian (Anthology of the Diasporan Literature).
The next cultural gathering of Hamazkayin was held in the frame of the jubilee celebrations dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Union.
Hamazkayin Armenia Office:
February 21, 2018