PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Saints Sahag and Mesrob Church will hold a cultural literary event “Past, Present and Future – Armenian Literature” with three innovate female writers – Victoria Atamian Waterman, Meghri Dervartanian and Aida Zilelian. Reporter Kim Kalunian joins them on Sunday, April 21 at 12:30 p.m. for a presentation and book discussion of the authors’ recently released books.
Author of historical fiction novel Who She Left Behind, Victoria Atamian Waterman is a life-long Rhode Islander who grew up in a multi-lingual immigrant household with a family history tied to the Armenian Genocide. In her novel, the old neighborhoods in Providence and Warwick come to life on its pages, providing a rich portrayal of her roots and experiences.
Aida Zilelian’s novel, All the Ways We Lied, is a contemporary story based on a family of American-Armenians set in Queens, NY. Her novel touches upon issues of cultural identity, sisterhood and the lasting effects of loss and grief. She is a first-generation American-Armenian educator, writer and storyteller.
Armenian children’s book author Meghri Dervartanian was born and raised in America. Her first children’s book Հպարտ Հայ (Hbard Hye/ Proud Armenian) was published in 2020 and her second book Դէպի Արարատ Լեռ (Tebi Ararat Ler/ Towards Mt. Ararat) in 2023. She recently published two new books called Կոմիտաս Վարդապետ (Gomidas Vartabed) and Վհուկը եւ իր Աւելը (Vhooguh yev ir Avele, The Witch and Her Broom).
Kalunian is a reporter and co-anchor of 12 News Now at 4 and 5:30. A native Rhode Islander, Kalunian joined the 12 News team in November 2015. Before arriving at WPRI, Kim worked as the drive-time news anchor on WPRO radio and as a staff reporter at her hometown newspaper, The Warwick Beacon.
