Hermine Avagyan’s “Farewell Eyes” Published as a Result of the Artsakh Writers’ Competition (Video)

Exactly one year ago, Newmag and the Tovmasyan Foundation launched a competition to support and publish Artsakh authors. With many writers forcibly displaced, the goal was to ensure they could continue creating and sharing their work. Over several months, a dedicated committee carefully reviewed the submitted entries.

Artak Tovmasyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Tovmasyan Foundation:

"The competition aims to help writers maintain a connection to their Artsakh roots because literature is one of the most powerful tools of cultural preservation."

For Newmag and the Tovmasyan Foundation, this was a commitment to social responsibility, and for Artsakh’s writers, it was an opportunity to reach new readers and continue their creative journeys.

Gnel Nalbandyan, Editor-in-Chief of Newmag Publishing House:

"It is difficult for these authors to enter Armenia’s literary market. That’s why we established this competition. The winning writer receives editorial and publishing support, mentorship, and market promotion. We are all responsible for ensuring creative progress."

At the Newmag Summerfest, Artak Tovmasyan announced the winner of the competition: Hermine Avagyan.

Hermine Avagyan, born in Ashan, Artsakh, is a journalist and the author of four books. She has received literary awards in Artsakh, Armenia, and the Diaspora. She describes her literary language as one of sincerity, rooted in her native village. Her collection “Farewell Eyes” explores themes of loss, longing, and the hope of return.

"I would have loved for this award to be presented in my Artsakh, but I do not feel like I am in a foreign land, I am in my homeland. Armenia is Mother Armenia, and that connection is even more profound."

Newmag carefully edited and packaged Avagyan’s collection. According to the publishing house’s director, Artak Aleksanyan, the initiative is crucial in ensuring that Artsakh writers retain their literary identity and continue writing about their homeland.

"I hope that Artsakh literature and culture will not fade away. It is essential to create lasting content, to ensure that Artsakh’s story is always told. Artsakh exists and will continue to exist."

“Farewell Eyes” tells the stories of children forced to grow up too soon, families torn from their homeland, and the deep yearning for return. Its characters share the pain of loss, the weight of memory, and an unshaken hope for peace, a belief that one day, they will return home to Artsakh.