Reading in Armenia: American Writers on Tour

AUA to Host Public Reading with Five Contemporary American Writers

YEREVAN, Armenia – On October 22, 2014, the American University of Armenia (AUA) will host a public reading with five contemporary American writers and poets in AUA’s Manoogian Hall from 2-4:30 PM. The event, titled, “Reading in Armenia: American Writers on Tour,” is hosted by AUA’s College of  Humanities & Social Sciences in collaboration with the Armenian Literature Foundation, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, and the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa and features Gish Jen, Mary Hickman, Peter Balakian, Chris Merrill, and Gregory Orfalea.

The reading is aimed at both the AUA community and the general public, with the intention of introducing and sharing works by contemporary U.S. writers with the Armenian community. It also aims to promote literature and translation, and some of the readings have been translated into Armenian by the students from AUA’s Certificate in Translation program.

Every year, the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa organizes a reading tour to a country or region that is not known for having close literary ties with contemporary America. This reading is part of a series of events taking place across Yerevan with the goal of introducing Armenians to the contemporary American literary scene and giving them the opportunity to meet and hear from distinguished writers. The tour will include seminars, readings, discussions, and meetings with local publishers.