IALA, NAASR and the Zohrab Center to Host Literary Lights 2026 Featuring Rose

IALA, NAASR and the Zohrab Center to Host Literary Lights 2026 Featuring Rose by the Sea Author Rebecca Rose Mooradian

The second installment of Literary Lights 2026 reading series will feature Rebecca Rose Mooradian, author of the highly anticipated picture book Rose by the Sea, in conversation with fellow writer, Astrid Kamalyan. The virtual event will take place on April 11, 2026, at 10:00 AM Pacific | 1:00 PM Eastern | 9:00 PM Armenia time. Register here.

Praise for the Book

“A beautifully illustrated and emotionally rich picture book about the impact of the Armenian Genocide that introduces this difficult chapter of history through the eyes of a child, Dzovinar . . . Mooradian and Yim have created a powerful book to share with care. It opens space for conversations about resilience, identity, and remembrance, and it shows how storytelling helps us honor the past while finding beauty in survival.” — School Library Journal (Starred Review)

“The lyrical prose and stunning illustrations evoke displacement, fear, and uncertainty while also channeling courage and hope. . . . The detailed artwork deepens the emotional resonance of the text with a powerful use of color and artfully integrated motifs and remembrances that echo from scene to scene, creating a powerful story that gently invites conversation and reflection.” — Booklist (Starred Review)

“Based, per an author’s note, on the childhood events of Mooradian’s great-grandmother, this first-person story connects arrayed hues to a youth’s flight during the Armenian genocide. . . . Establishing a new residence, the sisters paint the walls in colorful hues that remind them of loved ones and home, contributing to a vibrant, layered collage of the duo’s experiences.” — Publishers Weekly

Rebecca Rose Mooradian lives in a woodland garden in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee. Her works have appeared in New Millennium Writings, Sing Out! online, and Hamilton Stone Review, among others. When she’s not inn-keeping, chasing her kiddos, or gardening, she’s writing words and music about how much she loves the world. She is represented by Courtney Donovan at Writers House.

Astrid Kamalyan comes from a big, happy family and is the oldest of five. She spent most of her childhood in Armenia. As a child, she wished she could one day paint the beautiful mountains of Artsakh. Now she paints with words and writes for the most important people in the world—kids. Astrid holds an MBA degree from the American University of Armenia. She loves globetrotting with her husband and two sons. Astrid currently shares her time between Chicago and Yerevan, Armenia.

Literary Lights 2025 is a monthly reading series organized by the International Armenian Literary Alliance, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, and the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center. 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. Read along with the series by purchasing Rose by the Sea and more titles at IALA’s Bookshop.org storefront.

Missed the latest Missed our Literary Lights 2026 launch event featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning author Peter Balakian? Watch the full recording here.