As part of its “Femini” series, Aravot Daily interviewed writer, translator, doctor of philology, and author of more than two dozen books Diana Hambardzumyan. Her works have been translated into many languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Georgian, Persian, Romanian, Arabic, Korean, and more. Her works of fiction have been published both in Armenia and elsewhere. Diana Hambardzumyan has participated in international festivals and leading literary programs in Canada, Sweden, and the USA.
We asked Diana Hambardzumyan what she did during quarantine. “Of course, it was hell. I held my breath the whole time, but I followed the commandant’s guidelines.” She added that she was a responsible citizen. “I believe that 90 percent of citizens followed the guidelines, but I am sad that the results of the fight against the coronavirus were still not encouraging. In any case, I believe that we have gone through many hardships. This too shall pass.” Diana Hambardzumyan added that she created many sketches during the past few months, but she doesn’t consider them to be stories. She said that her soul was troubled, which caused it to ‘overflow.’ She hopes that serious works will be published about these past few months in the coming years. “Many writers will refer to it. Someone will write something titled ‘Plague’ or something like that. Everything will have its reflection in modern Armenian literature. It is a pity that all of this happened along with a violation of the ceasefire at our borders. We need to remain strong as a country, strengthen our military potential and economy, but education and science need to be the foundation for everything.”
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During the interview, Diana Hambardzumyan’s newest book The Charm of a Green Meadow was also brought up, which aroused serious interest in literary circles. We asked her what the message of her book was and what took place that parallels today’s world. “I try to do something new, but I don’t make a show of myself. I believe that you should not do anything if you’re not trying to do something new. That’s how it is everywhere…” she said.
We asked her to tell us about an impressive event. The writer said that she can remember many impressive events due to her frequent travels. She spoke about the Swedish city of Visby where she lived for a month, and emphasized that we have a lot to learn from that city in terms of preserving old things. “A little bit of coating came off the bridge, and construction workers fixed it with all the architectural dedication they had. They feared that the Middle Ages Visby would disappear. Meanwhile, the Acharyan Institute near the church in central Yerevan is not being preserved, and let’s not talk about the other destruction taking place throughout the center. I wish that we did not just say that we have a history that spans thousands of years, but that we showed it to everyone instead, just like the people in Visby.”
Diana Hambardzumyan considers herself to be a successful person. She said that an individual is successful when they are able to enjoy the love of their family, relatives, and friends. People are successful when they have achievements and even enemies. That means you have presented something about yourself.
Gohar Hakobyan
