Newmag Wins "Most In-Demand Translation of the Year" Award (Photos)

On February 21, a day symbolizing the Mother Language, the “Yerevan Bestseller” awards took place at the Armenpress news agency.

For over a decade, this project has tracked literary trends and reader preferences. In recent years, the annual results have been celebrated in conjunction with Book Giving Day and Mother Language Day, honoring individuals and publishing houses that have made significant contributions to literature and reading culture.

In her opening remarks, Armenpress Director Narine Nazaryan emphasized the project’s role in reflecting the literary landscape:

“Our ‘Yerevan Bestseller’ project serves as a unique mirror, capturing both readers’ preferences, creators’ literary tastes, and publishing trends.”

She also acknowledged the project's origins:

“‘Yerevan Bestseller’ was initiated by former Armenpress director Aram Ananyan. Meanwhile, February was established as a month of books by his father, the late Levon Ananyan, former President of the Writers’ Union of Armenia. It was he who spearheaded the declaration of February 19, Hovhannes Tumanyan’s birthday, as Book Giving Day.”

In the “Most In-Demand Translation of the Year” category, the award went to Newmag Publishing House for Alex Michaelides’ novel “The Fury”, which topped the “Yerevan Bestseller” list.

Ani Hakobyan, Head of Literary Programs at Newmag, highlighted the significance of the translation by Astghik Atabekyan. She noted that for the first time in Armenia, a book was released simultaneously with its global publication—a groundbreaking moment for Armenian publishing.

“‘The Fury’ paved the way for timely translations, allowing Armenian readers to experience major literary releases at the same time as the rest of the world. This tradition was further strengthened with the publication of Yuval Noah Harari’s “Nexus”, marking the beginning of a new era for Armenian publishing.”

 Alongside Newmag, other publishers such as Bookinist, Zangak, Edit Print, and DaVinci were recognized for their contributions to Armenian literature.

The “Documentary Bestseller of the Year” award was presented to Ara Tadevosyan and Lusine Gharibyan for their book “Vano and Vazgen: The Life and Tragedy of Two Friends”, celebrating their impactful storytelling in nonfiction literature.