The International Armenian Literary Alliance’s fifth annual mentorship program will run from July 1 through August 31, with mentorships for writers of the novel, short story, memoir, creative nonfiction, and poetry, as well as literary translation from both Armenian into English and English into Armenian. Mentors will read and provide feedback on their mentee’s writing and speak virtually with their mentee throughout the program to discuss the writing life, the mentee’s work and how to navigate the publishing industry. At the end of the program, IALA will host an Emerging Writers Showcase to give mentees the opportunity to read their work.
“Throughout the four years IALA has provided this unique mentorship program for emerging Armenian writers, we have matched 48 promising individuals from across the globe with established authors who have gone on to publish successful works, enriching Armenian literature written in the English language,” says IALA’s Executive Director Hovsep Markarian. “This year, we are especially excited to expand our translation mentorship to those translating English texts into Armenian, which we previously only offered to Armenian to English translators. As we expand the scope of our translation grants, this is a vital addition that will benefit the Armenian literary community at large.”
Last year, six new published authors joined IALA’s signature program and six returned as mentors. Over the years, mentors have included Nancy Agabian, Nyri Bakkalian, Tina Demirdjian, Ariel Djanikian, Arminé Iknadossian, Nancy Kricorian, Dawn Anahid MacKeen, Markar Melkonian, Gina Srmabekian, Meline Toumani, Patricia Ward, Aida Zilelian, among others.
“Participating in the IALA Mentorship Program not only helped take my writing to the next level, it also connected me to an international community of writers, enriching my literary life!” says 2024 IALA mentee Lori Yeghiayan Friedman,who later in the year received IALA’s Creative Writing Grant for her work-in-progress, “How to Survive a Genocide.”
Applications for IALA’s 2025 Mentorship Program are now open through March 30, 2025. Learn more and apply here.
The International Armenian Literary Alliance is a nonprofit organization launched in 2021 that supports and celebrates writers by fostering the development and distribution of Armenian literature in the English language. A network of Armenian writers and their champions, IALA gives Armenian writers a voice in the literary world through creative, professional, and scholarly advocacy. Learn more by visiting the website.
