Trafika Europe 4 - Armenian Rhapsody

Editor's welcome

Welcome to Trafika Europe 4 – Armenian Rhapsody . Mountainous Armenia, historically the first Christian nation, struggles today between east and west, amid some pitfalls of modern freedoms. Nearly one third of its present- day population of three million spends years at a stretch abroad in Russia, while another eight million Armenians are spread out in a diaspora spanning some 18 other countries, notably France, Iran and the United States. In this light, we can’t speak of any definitive Armenian literary culture. We’re offering only a smattering here, just a glimpse, of some writers in today’s Armenia. Some are looking backwards for inspiration, some forwards now (two here with pregnancy); some, perhaps, are flatlining within – there is also sweetness there. Fiction writer Armen of Armenia offers an update on a popular Armenian folk story with his “The Return of Kikos”; for the benefit of English-language readers, we’re prefacing it with the original tale of Kikos here. Poet Anahit Hayrapetyan gives us intimate snapshots of her pregnancy – including literally. We’ve also got moving fiction by Nara Vardanyan and Sargis Hovsepyan, and new poetry by Marine Petrossian. Special thanks to the latter also for helping us assemble this issue; Marine was a featured poet