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ARMENIAN LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION: MEMOIR AND COMPATRIOTIC STUDY

Levon Khechoyan (transl. by Aram Ohanian),
Black Book, Weighty Bug

Levon Khechoyan (transl. by Aram Ohanian),
Black Book, Weighty Bug , (London: Taderon Press, 2008), vi + 174 pp, ISBN 978-1-903656-73-0, paperback, GBŁ10.00/US$17.00

This book is about the Artist and the war with Azerbaijan. About the Artist who experiences the darkness of death and the light of stars, who spends the best years of his life roaming on the edge of death and happiness, trusting in man, confident that MAN will overcome. The main character experiences all the sins and remains sinless.

“...a bright and original modern Armenian writer... he walks along a razor’s edge, making readers shudder as they follow the twists and turns of the plot.”
–Literaturnaya Rossia weekly, No. 11, 2007.

“Levon Khechoyan’s prose can be considered poetic, not in form but in its fundamental essence.”
–Natalia Gomtsian, art critic.

“I often peruse his writing with admiration touched with envy... He knows life and knows what literature is.”
–Hrant Matevosian, author.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Levon Khechoyan was born in Baralet village, Akhalkalak district, Georgia in 1955. His forefathers came from Erzurum, Western Armenia. In 1983 he graduated the Department of Philology of the Gumri Pedagogic Institute. Since 1977, he has resided in Hrazdan, Kotayk Province, Armenia. Mr. Khechoyan started writing at school age. Since 1988, his works have been published in Armenian press. His first short story collection, The Frankincense Trees, was published in 1991.

His short stories have been translated into Russian, Ukrainian, English, Spanish and German.

Since 1994, his works have been published in Moscow magazines, the Literaturnaya Gazeta, Druzhba Narodov and Lepta. In 1998 his works were published in the Literaturnaya Ukraina newspaper. In 2000, the Ukrainian translation of The Frankincense Trees was published.

In 1997, Mr. Khechoyan participated in the Congress of Asian Writers held in Washington, D.C.

In 1999 his novel Black Book, Weighty Bug was awarded the State Grand Prix (the Golden Style) for Literature.

In June-July 2000, he participated in the "Literary Express-2000" organized by the German Bundestag and sponsored by the Council of Europe and UNESCO, and visited 21 European cities.

In Madrid, Paris, Kaliningrad and Berlin Mr. Khechoyan delivered his lecture "The War and Literature."

In 2001, in Berlin, his essay, "On the Iron Roads of Europe", based on the impressions of the above journey was published in German in the Europa Express collection (along with other 103 writers).

Also in 2001, this collection was translated into Russian by Raduga Publishers under the title of the Literary Schedule of Europe. In 2002 Mr. Khechoyan’s collection of fairy tales, The Household’s Guardian Spirit was published. In October 2002, the short story collection The Fifth and Sixth of June appeared.

On May 14-19, 2003 he participated in the meeting of South Caucasus writers held in Tbilisi. In September 2003 The Quivering Ground short story collection was published in Beirut.

In 2004, his essay, "On the Iron Roads of Europe", was published in the Ark of Letters collection (European Authors in Armenia.)

In February 2005, the short story collection The Quivering Ground was awarded the Hrant Matevosian Literary Prize.

On September 29, 2006, the Tekeyan Cultural Association awarded Mr. Khechoyan’s short story collection The Fifth and Sixth of June 2004-2005 the Haygachen Ouzounian Literary Award.