Armenian-American Sketches Awarded Aronian Book Prize for Excellence in Armenian Studies

Special to Hye Sharzhoom
NAASR

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Dr. Sona Aronian Book Prizes for Excellence in Armenian Studies: Prof. Houri Berberian for the monograph Roving Revolutionaries: Armenians and the Connected Revolutions in the Russian, Iranian, and Ottoman Worlds (University of California Press) and Dr. Lou Ann Matossian, Dr. Vartan Matiossian, and the late Aris Sevag for the translation of Bedros Keljik’s Armenian-American Sketches (The Armenian Studies Series of the Press at California State University, Fresno). The 2020 awards are for books with a 2019 publication date.

NAASR’s Aronian Book Prizes were established in 2014 by the late Dr. Aronian and Dr. Geoffrey Gibbs, to be awarded annually to outstanding scholarly works in the English language in the field of Armenian Studies and translations from Armenian into English.

The prize awarded for the translation of Keljik’s Armenian-American Sketches (originally published in 1944 in Armenian as

Amerigahay Badgerner), recognizes a team effort which includes the efforts of the three translators, Aris Sevag, Dr. Lou Ann Matossian, and Dr. Vartan Matiossian, as well as the publication’s co-editors Christopher Atamian and Barlow Der Mugrdechian. (Matossian also served as a co-editor.) Lou Ann Matossian first translated one of Keljik’s “sketches” and published it in Ararat Quarterly in 1997 and subsequently lectured on Keljik at NAASR in 2010; the late Aris Sevag translated the remainder of the book prior to his death in 2006; and Dr. Matiossian translated additional Keljik pieces published in the Baikar Annual in the 1940s.

As Dr. Matossian commented, “If Leo Hamalian and Aris Sevag had not published the early translations, or Marc Mamigonian had not invited a lecture on Keljik, or Christopher Atamian had not taken an interest, or Barlow Der Mugrdechian had not accepted our proposal, or Vartan Matiossian and the Keljik brothers had not come on board, or Asdghig Sevag [widow of the late Aris] and the donors been less generous, this chain could have been broken at any moment. The reappearance of the Keljik stories really was due to the passion of every individual along the way.”

Echoing these sentiments, Marc Mamigonian noted that “in awarding the prize for Armenian-American Sketches, we recognize the important contribution the book makes to expanding our knowledge of Armenian-American literature and culture. I wish that our late friend and colleague Aris Sevag were alive to receive this award along with Lou Ann and Vartan, and I am grateful that Asdghig can accept on his behalf. Furthermore, while the prize itself is given to translators, we also want to acknowledge with gratitude the vital efforts of Christopher Atamian and Barlow Der Mugrdechian in making this publication a reality.”

Authors or publishers wishing to submit books for consideration for future Aronian Prizes may contact NAASR Director of Academic Affairs Marc A. Mamigonian marc@naasr.org.

The full version of this article can be accessed at: https://naasr.org/blogs/news/naasr-announces-winners-of-2020-sona-aronian-armenian-studies-book-prizes.