This spring an unusual and very important event happened in Armenian contemporary literature circles: the English edition of writer Aram Pachayn’s novel “Goobye, Bird” was released. While Pachyan is preparing the second Armenian edition of the “Bird” and finishing his new novel, literary critic Arqmenik Nikoghosyan explains why this English edition is so important.
Text : Arqmenik Nikoghosyan
Readers are usually preoccupied over whether there’s any high-class contemporary Armenian literature and world-class Armenian authors. On the one hand this preoccupation is trivial, at least since those who ask are not aware of the topic, but on the other hand the question is kind of relevant, as it is rare thata contemporary Armenian writer’s book is translated, published in another country and is also sucessful.
Thus, nowadays leading Armenian publishers and literary agents, besides their core publishing activity, attach a great importance to the issue of contemporary Armenian writers’ books being translated and represented abroad. The work completed in recent years has already provided certain results. Among the most successful projects that should be commemorated is the English edition of Gurgen Khanjyan’s “Yenok's Eye” novel in the United States, the Turkish edition of Hovhannes Tekgyozyan’s “Fleeting City”, and the Ukrainian edition of Aram Pachyan’s “Robinzon” storybook.
Naturally, these editions should not be an end in itself. Work must be done for their further promotion, as each Armenian author’s success abroad causes a chain reaction, in other words, becomes the locomotive, enabling the works of other writers to follow..
Many literary experiences are evidence of this. Let us recall the example of Milorad Pavić and Orhan Pamuk. Their consequent fame all over the world brought interest to Serbian and Turkish literature and to the authors in general.
And now Aram Pachyan’s novel “Goodbye, Bird” is available in English. This book, published by Antares publishing house, included in the “XXI. Modern Armenian Prose” series of contemporary Armenian literature, has become one of the favourite books among Armenian readers, has set record high sales in Armenia and has consequently brought the author fame.
The English version of “Goodbye, Bird” is destined to have the success that the “Robinson” storybook has had in Ukraine. For Armenian contemporary literature, it’s very important to bring high-class literary works to readers abroad, so that the success continues. Aram Pachyan’s “Goodbye, Bird” is a very valuable book, and one of the best works of Armenian literature in the last 10 years. Therefore, I am confident in the success of the novel abroad, and I hope that it will carry the difficult but honorable function of the locomotive.