IALA to participate in AWP Conference 2025 with two panel discussions, exclusive offsite event and shared exhibit space with Anamot Press

By Khumaer Bayas On Mar 18, 2025

The International Armenian Literary Alliance is proud to announce its participation in this year’s AWP Conference & Bookfair, one of the largest literary gatherings in North America. IALA will host two engaging panel discussions featuring esteemed writers, editors and literary professionals, as well as a special offsite event designed to foster deeper community connections among writers and industry leaders.

Additionally, IALA will share an exhibit space with Anamot Press at the AWP Bookfair, offering attendees the opportunity to learn more about both organizations, explore their latest literary initiatives and connect with representatives. The shared space will serve as a hub for networking, access to exclusive literary resources, as well as an opportunity to purchase signed books.

Featured panel discussions

We Are Still Here: A Reading for Palestinian & Armenian Solidarity

Date & time: Friday, March 28, 2025 | 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. PDT
Location: Room 501ABC, Level Two; Los Angeles Convention Center

This multigenre reading, presented by IALA, brings together writers of Palestinian and Armenian descent whose works in prose, poetry and nonfiction examine culture and heritage in the diaspora. In the face of ongoing campaigns of silencing by colonialist and fascist governments, this panel highlights the resilience of these communities and the power of literature as an act of resistance and survival.

Participants:

Gina Srmabekian, moderator/speaker
Nancy Agabian, speaker
Mai Serhan, speaker
Priscilla Wathington, speaker
Raffi Wartanian, speaker

Behind the Acronym: Empowering Ethnic Voices – Launching a Literary Non-Profit

Date & time: Saturday, March 29, 2025 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. PST
Location: Room 515A, Level Two; Los Angeles Convention Center

This discussion brings together arts administrators from the International Armenian Literary Alliance and Mizna to explore the role of literary nonprofits dedicated to specific ethnic communities. Panelists will discuss the importance of visibility, diversity and the practicalities of launching and maintaining a successful nonprofit in the literary world.

Organizer: Jen Siraganian
Participants:

Shahé Mankerian, moderator/speaker
Ellina Kevorkian, speaker
Arthur Kayzakian, speaker

Exclusive offsite event

Gata & Gartal: A Taste of Armenian Literature

Following the AWP 2025 conference, the IALA Los Angeles Chapter will host a special offsite event on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lark Musical Society in Los Angeles. Open to all, this evening of literature, community and conversation will feature powerful readings from talented IALA members.

Event details:

Date & time: Saturday, March 29, 2025 | 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. PST
Location: Lark Musical Society, Los Angeles, CA
Cocktail hour: 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Readings: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Suggested donation: $25 or more (event is free of charge)

Attendees can enjoy food and drinks during the cocktail hour before the readings commence. This intimate gathering will provide a space for networking, creative exchange and celebrating literary voices within the Armenian and larger literary communities.

Featured readers: Nancy Agabian, Lory Bedikian, Armen Davoudian, Tina Demirdjian, Alec Ekmekji, Mashinka Firunts Hakopian, Armine Iknadossian, Arthur Kayzakian, Nancy Kricorian, Shahé Mankerian, Aram Saroyan, Jen Siraganian, Gina Srmabekian, Alene Terzian-Zeitounian and Raffi Wartanian.

Register here.

AWP 2025 will take place from March 26-29, 2025 in the Los Angeles Convention Center, drawing thousands of writers, educators and literary professionals from across the world. IALA’s participation reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting and amplifying diverse literary voices.

“This year, as AWP takes place in Los Angeles, home to the largest Armenian community in the diaspora, IALA embraces the opportunity to showcase its mission on an even grander stage,” says IALA board member and mentorship program director Shahe Mankerian. “Our presence at AWP is especially exciting as it allows us to introduce a wider literary audience, one deeply engaged with the written word, to the richness of Armenian authors who illuminate our heritage through the English language.”

For more information about IALA’s panels, offsite event or shared exhibit space with Anamot Press, or to schedule interviews with panelists, please contact: info@armenianliterary.org

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.

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