Paulo Coelho in Armenia

Paulo Coelho in Armenia
By Hovhannes Yeranian
Yerkir.am
October 8, 2004

The hall of the Writers Union was packed on October 6. I can’t remember any other recent occasion when so many people came to the Writers Union.

And this was indeed a unique and extraordinary occasion – one of the most famous writers of our times, Paulo Coelho was meeting the Armenian readers. Coelho, one of the most widely-read writers in the world, was impressed by such a warm reception by the Armenian readers.

Head of the Armenian office of Hamazgayin Educational-Cultural Union Lilit Galstian introduced Coelho and his works noting that the writer expands the spiritual limits of humanity with his works.

No other writer’s works have been translated into 60 foreign languages during his lifetime. Galstian informed the readers that Hamazgayin Union’s cooperation with Coelho will continue and all his works will be translated into Armenian.

The meeting at the Writer’s Union was devoted to the presentation of the Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian translations of Coelho’s “Alchemist” published by Van Arian and Vahe Satian publishing companies in Lebanon. Translators Artak Vardazarian and Khatchig Mouradian presented the author copies of the translated book. Actor David Hakobian read excerpts from the Eastern Armenian translation.

President of the Writers Union Levon Ananian called Coelho an artist who managed to combine reality and fantasy in an incredible flight of imagination.

A certificate of Honorable Member of the Armenian Writers Union was presented to Coelho. Levon Ananian expressed a hope that Coelho will reflect his impressions of his visit to Armenia in a book as he had done after his visit to Kazakhstan. “This is very important because his books are published and sold all over the world,” Ananian said.

The president of the Brazilian International Union of Journalists is visiting Armenia together with Paulo Coelho. The purpose of his visit is to publish a special series of articles on Armenia and the Armenians.
Coelho did not speak much during the meeting, “There is something mystical in a writer’s meeting with his readers and I am grateful that you have come here today.”

He noted that he had planned to visit Armenia a long time ago, but this was not merely a visit because Armenia is a pilgrimage country. He added that Armenia is interesting to him also because it is the homeland of the Armenians spread all over the world.
Coelho will have a press conference and a lecture at Yerevan State University. He will also meet Catolicos Garegin II and President Robert Kocharian. He will travel in Armenia, visit Tsitsernakaberd and Echmiadzin.