THE POWER OF CULUTRAL DIPLOMACY: LITERATURE WITHOUT BOARDERS

The Power of Cultural Diplomacy: Literature without Boarders project was implemented by ARI Literature Foundation in January – July 2022. The project was implemented in the framework of The EU-funded “Support to the Armenia-Turkey Normalisation Process: Stage 3” (ATNP-3) programme implemented by Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF). Initially planned as an onsite project to take place in 2020, it was later reformatted into an online program due to COVID-19. The closing event of the project took place on the 7th of July at Artbridge cafe-bookstore. The event was attended by project participants, tutors, partner organizations and Eurasia Partnership Foundation representatives. 

The project had two components: Write in Armenia (IWC) for Armenian and Turkish young writers and Zabel Women Writers Forum featuring two Turkish women writers.

Write in Armenia International Writing Camp

The first international creative writing camp implemented by ARI Literature Foundation dates back to 2017․ The camp was implemented within a Reading Tour of International Writers Project of the University of Iowa supported by US Embassy in Armenia and took place in Armenia for Armenian and Turkish young writers. In 2018 the project was officially named Write in Armenia International Writing Camp (IWC) and an extended edition with participation of Armenian, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian and Georgian young writers was implemented once again in cooperation with the US Embassy in Armenia. The 2022 edition of Armenian Turkish program was the first online implementation of the camp in the framework of The Power of Cultural Diplomacy project.

In its 2022 online edition the camp was comprised of 12 sessions during which tutors Asli Perker from Turkey and Armen Ohanyan from Armenia, held theoretical and practical classes on writing. Additionally, three invited lecturers offered sessions։ on non-fiction writing by TEDx Armenia founder, business communication and leadership consultant Kristine Sargsyan, օն interdisciplinary relations of cinematography and literature by Artistic Director of Golden Apricot Film Festival Karen Avetisyan and a translation workshop by Director of MFA in Translation at the University of Iowa Aron Aji, Ph.D.

During the project the participants came up with their essays, poems, novellas and in the end as a result of 3-months’ study and practice a final piece was written by each of the participants. These pieces were translated into Armenian, Turkish and English and published in a final chapbook of the project.