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Antelias: Third Pan-Armenian Writers' Conference Convenes

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  • Antelias: Third Pan-Armenian Writers' Conference Convenes

    PRESS RELEASE
    Catholicosate of Cilicia
    Communication and Information Department
    Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
    Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
    Fax: (04) 419724
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Web: http://www.cathcil.org/

    PO Box 70 317
    Antelias-Lebanon

    Armenian version: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Armenian.htm

    Watch the recorded video of the message of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos
    of Cilicia here:
    http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/video.htm

    TH E THIRD PAN-ARMENIAN WRITERS' CONFERENCE CONVENES ITS SESSIONS IN ANTELIAS


    The second session of the Pan-Armenian Writers' Conference was held in the
    hall of the Veharan on the evening of the conference's inauguration on April
    6.

    Two writers spoke on "Globalization and the modern Armenian literature."
    Karnig Ananian from Armenia presented an analytical speech on the topic,
    focusing on the challenges posed by the globalization on the field of
    literature and particularly Armenian literature. In this context he spoke
    about the threats to national identities and the value of nations, the
    "poetisation" of the concept of global citizenship and tendencies to reject
    literary values and engage in "garbage writing."

    The second writer to speak about the topic, Lebanese-Armenian writer Sarkis
    Giragossian, presented a brief overview of the globalization wave,
    highlighting its consequences on the Armenian culture and literature.
    Giragossian said that a new image of Armenians has formed in the Armenian
    literature of the last decade. He opposed the centuries-old visionary
    national literature of rich values and traditions to materialism, the stress
    on the physical being of individuals and their instinctive drives. He
    assured the former would overcome the waves of globalization.

    The participants then exchanged views on the topic under the chairmanship of
    Henrig Etoyian (Armenia) and Hrant Markarian (United States).

    The third session of the conference was held on April 7 and focused on two
    main themes: "New life experience and new literature" and "The conflict of
    identity in the literature of the Armenian Diaspora".

    The first topic was presented by Jenya Kalantarian from Armenia who talked
    about the inter-fusion between various literary genres such as poetry and
    prose in recent times. Vehanoush Tekeyian from the United States talked
    about the conflict of identity in the literature of the Armenian Diaspora.
    She related the literature of various Armenian communities to the Diaspora
    Armenians' struggle for survival.

    Hovhannes Krikorian (Armenia) and Hagop Mikaelian (Syria) then chaired the
    session on discussions and exchange of viewpoints by the participants.

    The fourth session of the conference was dedicated to the Diaspora
    literature and included presentations on "The Armenian Diaspora Literature
    assessed by the modern literary criticism of Armenia" and "Modern Thinking
    in the Armenian Diaspora literature".

    The presenter of the first topic, Souren Tanielian from Armenia assessed the
    Armenian Diaspora literature in light of the influences of globalization. He
    talked about the persistent contradiction between globalization and national
    identities. Tanielian spoke in detail about the viewpoints of such Armenian
    writers as Kegham Sevan, Vazken Kaprielian and Alex Topdjian, the
    perceptions of Armenian literary critics of the Soviet Union and the
    adoption of the Diaspora literature in Armenia.

    The second topic was presented by Hilda Kalfaian-Panossian, who talked about
    the formation of various natures of literature in the post-Genocide Armenian
    communities of the Diaspora as a result of different intellectual
    influences. As such, Paris was the first to attract attention whereby new
    Armenian writers opposed the emotionalism of the old generation. Istanbul
    followed with new writers adopting new approached to both prose and poetry
    after World War II. The presenter warned that the greatest difficulty the
    Armenian Diaspora literature faces today is the issue of being understood
    with difficulty.

    Vazken Kaprielian (Armenia) and Aram Sepedjian (Lebanon) chaired the
    discussions' session.

    The fifth session of the conference featured the topic "The Armenian
    Genocide and the Modern Armenian Literature" which was presented by Azad
    Yeghiazarian from Armenia. Talking about the large place to this topic in
    Armenian literature, Yeghiazarian said: "The national destiny has been one
    of the major concerns of literature and literature itself has deeply
    affected on national destiny and psychology. In other words, a nation's
    literature is what its history and destiny are; and a nation's history and
    psychology are what its literature is. This is one of the most important
    unique aspects of Armenian literature."

    An exchange of viewpoints followed under the chairmanship of Roupen
    Hovsepian (Armenia) and Arshag Kazandjian (the United States).

    The main theme of the sixth and last session of the day was "The
    internationalization of Armenian literature". Alexander Topdjian from
    Armenia talked about the comprehensive procedure by which Armenian
    literature should be internationalized.

    "The internationalization of Armenian literature should first and foremost
    become an indivisible part of government policy. This means that a clear and
    comprehensive plan should be devised to introduce our literature to the
    world. This is a difficult mission the achievement of which requires the
    unity of not only the artistic unions of Armenia but also that of the
    Diaspora's intellectual potential," he said.

    The second presenter, Harout Kuirkdjian from Greece, stressed the value of
    quality, highlighting the importance of writers and a literature that would
    follow the progress of the global literature, renewing the Armenian language
    and exhibiting a revolutionary loyalty.

    Berdj Zeitountsian (Armenia) and Haroutioun Berberian (Canada) chaired the
    discussions of the last session.

    ##
    View photo here: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Photos/Pictures39.h tm
    *****
    The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
    the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
    mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
    Catholicosate, http://www.cathcil.org/ The Cilician Catholicosate, the
    administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
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