InternationalLove stories are a passion for Janna Hakobyan
Janna Hakobyan is Armenia’s preeminent romance novelist
Published: Saturday June 20, 2009
Janna Hakobyan. .
Cover of Nostalgia. .
Yerevan - "I have been writing since I was a student at grade school," Janna Hakobyan says while sipping iced tea at a café in downtown Yerevan. "Poetry, prose, short stories."
Today, Ms. Hakobyan is the author of eight novels and seven books of poetry. "I initially published my poetry collections, not that poetry was such a passion, but because financially it was feasible for me to have it printed," she explains. Being a writer in Armenia means not only managing your creative process; it also entails designing, editing, financing, and printing your own material. Publishers, as they exist and operate in Armenia, do not work with writers in the way that publishers do in North America and Europe.
Of her eight novels, seven are love stories and the other one, titled Karabakh's Destiny, is based on historical facts, yet once again involves several love stories spanning different time periods.
The author says the stories she weaves to create her novels come to her in spurts of inspiration. "At the center of my stories are the destinies of my characters. They always have a fate that captures the imagination," she says. "Maybe that's why I have such a loyal readership; the characters I create resonate with them, remind them of themselves."
The people who read Hakobyan's novels cross a large swath across the social fabric of society in Armenia. "Those who read my books are from all age groups, of both sexes," she says.
The fact that the general themes of her novels include love and loneliness - eternal human themes that create a bond with the readers - is why her books are so popular, she believes. "These themes have existed for and have come down through the centuries," Jana explains. "Everyone relates."
Asked if the women in her stories are strong characters or damsels in distress, she says: "I believe in protecting the rights of women. Armenian women don't have equal rights or equal opportunities. We want and need to struggle to attain these rights." However she is quick to add that while it is important to adopt those values that will enable the empowerment of women, we must be careful not to forget our own culture and traditions. "We do not need to burn all our bridges."
And what about love? "I am for free love. If a person loves someone, then he or she must be able to attain that love and live in harmony and happiness," the writer acknowledges. In her novels, her characters are always struggling for love and happiness. "Happiness doesn't just fall into our laps; it's something we have to struggle for because life itself is a struggle. That's the way it is in nature."
Do her novels have happy endings, or are they like most Armenian stories, tragedies? "Some of my books have happy endings. In my latest book Nostalgia, the hero and heroin are finally able to be together, so it was a happy ending. My previous book wasn't like that, because it was based on a real-life experience, where the woman dies. It depends on the story."
While she writes about tragedy, she highlights universal themes and values in all her novels. "I love the fact that more often than not, people are motivated by love; they make decisions based upon their feelings of love. Everything is done in the name of love."
Janna believes that a person's destiny allows them the chance to find happiness and love; there's always a moment when you can find what you are looking for. Perhaps this is why there is such a demand for her books in Armenia. "People have a need to read love stories; that's something which is missing from contemporary Armenian literature," she says.
