Write in Armenia IWC 2022
A PIECE OF PEACE
10-15, 2022 / Dilijan, Armenia
The program objective is to make the young writers aged 24-26 from Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine discuss the idea of PEACE as they see it explore each other and hear different opinions. The leading tutors from each participant country will moderate the training and other activities and lead theoretical and practical sessions. The outcome of the project will be three cooperative pieces on the topic by three groups of writers comprised of one participant from each country.
The project is funded by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
Partners of the project are Literature Initiative Georgia, Georgia, and Mystetski Arsenal, Ukraine․
FACULTY
ARMENIA
ARMEN OHANYAN
Armen of Armenia (Armen Ohanyan) is a fiction writer and essayist. He is PEN Armenia President. Armen is known for his short story collection The Return of Kikos, published in 2013. His writing is significantly influenced by his political activism. In 2015 he has participated at City of Asylum Writer Residency program in Pittsburg, PA, USA as well as the Fall Residency at the world-famous International Writers’ Project at the University of IOWA at Iowa City, IA, USA. Armen is teaching creative writing: Between the Lines program of IWP (2018) and Write in Armenia projects of ARI Literature Foundation (2018, 2022).
Awards
2011 – Ardzak literary awards, 2nd prize for The Return of Kikos
2012 – Ardzak literary awards, prize for Superstar Mario
GEORGIA
DAVIT GABUNIA
Davit Gabunia (b. 1982 in Poti, Georgia) – is twice the winner of the independent theatre award Duruji (2013-14) for the best new Georgian play of the year; winner of the literary award SABA (2014) for best drama. His plays have been produced at Royal District Theatre, Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Bydgoszcz Teatr Polski, Rustaveli National Theatre, Poti, Batumi and Liberty theatres. Gabunia’s translations include plays by Shakespeare, Strindberg, Ibsen and number of contemporary British, Swedish and German playwrights, as well as two volumes of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
His debut novel Falling Apart appeared in 2017 and turned into a national best-seller in Georgia. In 2018 the book was published by Rowohlt Berlin in Germany, under the German title “Farben der Nacht”.
He teaches Drama Theory and Creative Writing at Ilia State University and Royal District Theatre Studio, in Tbilisi, Georgia. He is the chief dramaturg at Royal District Theatre since 2009, and teaches drama at the Studio for young playwrights and directors since 2016.
UKRAINE
OLENA KUZMINA
Olena Kuzmina is Kyiv-based writer and creative entrepreneur. In 2021 her novel won a nominee “Choice of publisher” in the biggest Ukrainian contest for manuscripts “Koronatsiya Slova”. In 2022 her anti utopia “The Labyrinth Project” was published by Fabula, Kharkiv-based publishing house despite almost constant bomb shellings in the city.
Olena is co-host of a podcast “Pishli pisati” for future writers along with her colleague Julia Kubay. Also she runs an online school for graphic designers and is a co-founder of a marketing agency.
Olena shares her experience and tips on her Instagram in order to help Ukranians tell their stories and to be heard.