The International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA), the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research and the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center will host Literary Lights 2026, their fourth annual reading series showcasing new works of literature by Armenian authors. Each event — held online or in-person — will feature a writer reading from their work, followed by a discussion with an interviewer and audience members.
The launch event will feature Peter Balakian, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of New York Trilogy, in conversation with writer, critic, editor and translator, Diana Arterian. The free and virtual event will take place on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.
New York Trilogy is an American long poem in three sections that moves between decades of tumultuous life in New York City and explosive parts of the Middle East. Learn more and register here.
The reading series lineup also includes:
Gassia Armenian
Remain in Light: Visions of Homeland and Diaspora by Gassia Armenian
This collection of poems and photographs, edited by Gassia Armenian, endeavors to visualize the contemporary Armenian experience in the homeland and in Los Angeles, home to the largest Armenian population in diaspora. Learn more and purchase here.
Naira Kuzmich
Fearcatcher by Naira Kuzmich
Kuzmich’s first novel, completed before her passing, is set in Soviet Armenia during the 1970s to 1980s. The narrative follows Ruzan, a foundling girl raised by a mystical figure known as a fearcatcher. The story examines fate, family and rebellion, blending historical realism with mythic storytelling. Learn more and purchase here.
Rebecca Rose Mooradian
Rose By the Sea: An Armenian Journey of Courage and Hope by Rebecca Rose Mooradian
Based on the true story of the author’s great-grandmother, this fierce yet hopeful picture book, illustrated by Myo Yim, is about surviving the Armenian Genocide sparkles with hope and heart even amid unspeakable tragedy — perfect for readers of The Proudest Blue and Yuyi Morales’s Dreamers. Learn more and preorder here.
Aram Saroyan
Before I Forget: A Memoir (and Then Some) by Aram Saroyan
Aram Saroyan, minimalist poet, author and son of William Saroyan, reflects on a life shaped by art, fame and fractured family with a behind-the-scenes view of American cultural life from the 1950s onward, including rare photos and stories of mingling with creative luminaries from Richard Avedon to Marilyn Monroe. Learn more and preorder here.
Sarah Ignatius
The Kaleidoscope of Destiny by Sarah Ignatius
Sarah Ignatius‘ debut novel revolves around a 14-year-old Armenian boy, Arakel, caught up in the genocide, who has to reach out to people of different faiths and backgrounds, whom he at first considers enemies — Turks, Kurds, Bedouins, Arab camel drivers, Germans and even a wandering dervish — and figure out who to trust in a world of barbaric cruelty, confronting what lies deep within the human heart. It is set for release in August 2026.
Perla Kantarjian
You Must Become Field by Perla Kantarjian
You Must Become Field moves with astonishing fluidity from the 1915 arrest of Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople to a 2025 Beirut club bathroom, where girls fix each other’s eyeliner between airstrikes. Kantarjian braids genocide’s long aftermath with the urgent present: Lebanon’s economic collapse, the port explosion’s glass rain, Artsakh’s exodus, war in Lebanon — without flattening either into metaphor. Here is girlhood and nationhood, seedless grapes at Tesco, wedding preparations and war, all held in the same devoted attention. Learn more and preorder here.
Keep an eye on IALA’s website and socials for the exact dates of each event. Read along with the series and support Armenian literature by purchasing titles at IALA’s Bookshop storefront.
