The winners of the International Armenian Literary Alliance’s annual Young Armenian Poets Awards in Honor of Tamar Asadourian have been announced: Alina Avanesova, Michelle Pinkerton-Babayan and Diana Shavinyan.

Judged by IALA Advisory Board members Gregory Djanikian, Arminé Iknadossian and Raffi Joe Wartanian, this year’s prompt for the poetry contest invited Armenian writers between the ages of 14 and 18 to write towards an Armenian future. 

Follow the links below to read the winning poems and commentary:

• Alina Avanesova: “a map without borders”
• Michelle Pinkerton-Babayan: “My Grandmother (Tatik)”
• Diana Shavinyan: “Who am I?”

“In its sixth year, the Young Armenian Poets Awards have become, for me, a bit of a litmus test for the health of the Armenian people worldwide. For the first time ever, all three winners are from Armenia,” says founder and director of the poetry contest Alan Semerdjian. “I appreciate that our call for work is reaching teachers and students across continents and the conversation between the Diaspora and Armenia is growing. This is an auspicious sign of health amidst a turbulent and fraught political climate. In a period of history that is defined by fissure, it is inspiring to see teenagers embrace and sketch through the vehicle of invention that which connects us all. The baseline. The place we all come from and must return to. Our future involves, very frankly, us…our whole selves, hearts and minds.” Read the full statement here.

The young poets, along with IALA’s most recent cohort of mentees, read their work at IALA’s sixth Emerging Writers Showcase on October 24. Watch the full recording here.

YAPA is made possible by a generous donation from members of Tamar Asadourian’s family, Sam and Tamig Ekizian.

Tamar Asadourian (1980 to 2020) was an accomplished pianist, author and artist. At 16, she performed at Carnegie Hall, and was acclaimed as “an absorbing artist of uncommon sensitivity and intelligence.” While studying at the Manhattan School of Music, Asadourian was forced to give up the piano due to illness. She suffered from severe depression, and dedicated herself to writing, drawing and the arts. After her untimely death, a collection of her poetry, prose and artwork was published in a volume entitled “I remember you my future…” (Naregatsi Art Institute, Yerevan, Armenia, 2022). Read more of Asadourian’s writing here.

The International Armenian Literary Alliance supports and celebrates writers and translators around the world by fostering the development and distribution of Armenian literature in the English language, and in translation.