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IALA will host Inch by Inch, a virtual reading and panel discussion on translating Armenian literature into English, on November 8, 2025, at 9:00 AM PT | 12:00 PM ET | 9:00 PM AMT.
For many in the Armenian diaspora and the English-speaking world, centuries of Armenian literature remain hidden behind a language barrier. Translators working to bridge that gap often do so with limited resources and support—challenges made even greater by the dominance of “majority languages” in global publishing.
Join translators Jennifer Manoukian and Armen Karakashian as they share selections from their recent English translations of Yervant Odian and Aram Haigaz, published by Inch Press. The conversation, led by writer and producer Tatevik Ayvazyan, will explore their creative approaches, translation philosophies, and the urgent questions shaping Armenian literature in translation today. Inch Press founder Garen Torikian will also join to share the inspiration behind the press. The event will conclude with an audience Q&A.
Meet the Panelists
Jennifer Manoukian is the co-founder of Gesaria Armenian Research and Academic Services, a research, translation and editorial company that supports projects that explore the Armenian past and present. She holds a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from UCLA and has worked as a literary translator from Western Armenian for over a decade. Jennifer is also a member of the IALA Translation Committee and a two-time mentor for the IALA Mentorship Program.
Armen Karakashian is a recent university graduate who reconnected with the Armenian language after taking elementary Western Armenian courses at Rutgers. In 2023, he interned at the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center in New York City and supported their mission to preserve Armenian literature. In his free time, he enjoys translating old handwritten Armenian letters belonging to friends and loved ones.
Garen Torikian an Armenian-Egyptian writer crafting stories that examine the power dynamics that occur between individuals, communities, and larger social entities. He works as a fiction writer and essayist, and dabbles as a Western Armenian translator. Previous writing has appeared in Guernica, Electric Literature, Speak, Potomac Review, and Wasafiri. He is a member of IALA’s Translation Committee. Recently, he launched Inch Press, a publishing house dedicated to making more Western Armenian literature accessible to readers of English.
Tatevik Ayvazyan is a London-based writer and producer with Rebel Republic Films and the former director of the Armenian Institute. She is the producer of the newly released documentary, Married to the Music, award-winning poetry film, Taniel, and is currently adapting Iris Murdoch’s The Italian Girl. Tatevik has co-edited Wasafiri magazine’s special Armenia(n)s: Elevation issue. She’s a board member of the International Armenian Literary Alliance, focusing on translation projects, and of Azad Archives.
