2015 was successful year for book printing, says Armenian literary critic

2015 turned out a very successful and productive year for Armenia's publishing art, says a literary critic.

Speaking to Tert.am, Arqmenik Nikoghosyan highlighted particularly the progress in translation art, which he considered positive.

"Many translated books were published, so they are expected to have a great influence on the literary progress," he noted.

As for achievements in the Armenian literature, Nikoghosyan said he thinks that last year was somewhat a period of interval or preparations.

"It isn't  naturally possible to write and publish, say, a good novel every year. Novels by several writers will be published in the coming year [2015]. Nonetheless, I would like to highlight the collection of poems 'House Door' by Husik Ara, the essay 'Finger Script' by Gurgen Khanjyan and the collection 'Jesus' Cat' by Grig. On the other hand, there were unexpected books, so to say, by authors who weren't that popular before. 'One Needs to Live before Death', a novel by Mher Israelyan, was a revelation for me, for example.

"Suren Sarumyan's novel, 'Shami Khalif - Abu-Bakr al Baghdadi' was of a great interest," the literary critic noted.

He added that the year was remarkable also in terms of the publication of a new book dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centennial and its presentation on international exhibitions. "Those participations were very important this year [i.e. - in 2015] also in terms of the Genocide Centennial, as publications dedicated to the massacres were being presented. They were, in general, useful both in terms of cooperation and presentation of writers abroad," he added.

Nikoghosyan further highlighted the importance of the increase in readership in 2015. "I think that the slight shift in the area of reading saw a little bit more progress this [i.e. - last] year. And that's natural given that many books are being published in Armenia. So that will, some or another, contribute to the development of reading," he added.