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Varujan Vosganian

ヴァルジャン・ヴォスガニアン

Varujan Vosganian

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1958-07-25 （Craiova, Romania）
Nationality
Romania
Languages
Armenian, Romanian, English, French, Italian, Spanish
Religion
Armenian Apostolic Church (probable)
Residence History
Craiova (birthplace) → Focșani (schooling) → Bucharest (long-term residence and activity)

Career

Occupations
politician, economist, essayist, poet, writer
Active Years
1989-
Affiliations
The Union of Armenians in Romania (UAR) — President, Union of Writers in Romania — Prime-vice president, Former member of the National Liberal Party (PNL)
Memberships
The Union of Armenians in Romania (UAR), Union of Writers in Romania
Nominations
Nomination for Best Translation of the Year — Leipzig Book Fair (2014), Union of Writers in Romania — Nomination for Best Prose (2009, 2013)

Education

Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (Bucharest University of Economic Studies)
Commerce
Degree: Bachelor
Period: 1978-1982
Year of Graduation: 1982
Country: Romania
Studied Commerce; graduated in 1982
University of Bucharest
Mathematics
Degree: Degree in Mathematics
Period: 1987-1991
Year of Graduation: 1991
Country: Romania
Studied Mathematics; graduated in 1991
Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (Ph.D. program)
Degree: Ph.D.（経済学）
Period: 1994-1998
Year of Graduation: 1998
Country: Romania
Ph.D. in Economics (1998)

Awards

Angelus Award (for The Book of Whispers)
2016
Work: Cartea șoaptelor (The Book of Whispers)
Organization: Angelus Central European Literature Award (Wrocław)
Result: 受賞
Romanian Academy Award (best prose)
2009
Work: Cartea șoaptelor (The Book of Whispers)
Organization: Romanian Academy
Result: 受賞
Movses Khorenatsi Medal
2011
Organization: Presidency of the Republic of Armenia
Result: 受賞
Nichita Stănescu Grand Prize for Poetry
2006
Organization: Chișinău Prize (Republic of Moldova)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Cartea șoaptelor (The Book of Whispers)

2009 historical fiction / novel

Based on family memory and survivors' testimony, the novel treats twentieth-century history—especially the Armenian Genocide and Eastern European Communism—through a mix of memoir, fiction and symbolic narrative. It addresses memory, trauma, and the human choices of forgetting, revenge and forgiveness.

memorygenocidetraumaidentityforgiveness and revenge
Adaptations
  • [stage performances / readings] Performances based on The Book of Whispers
Translations
  • English translation: The Book of Whispers (Alistair Ian Blyth, Yale University Press, 2017)
  • French translation: Le livre des chuchotements (Laure Hinckel & Marily Le Nir, 2013)
  • German translation: Buch des Flüsterns (Ernest Wichner, 2013/2015)

Copiii războiului (The Children of War)

2016 novel

A novel depicting the intergenerational effects of war and violence.

warintergenerational traumamemory

Cartea poemelor mele nescrise (The Book of My Unwritten Poems)

2015 poetry

A volume of poems; modest sales reported.

poetryreminiscencepersonal themes

Bibliography

  • Jurnalul de front: articole economice (1994)
  • Contradicțiile tranziției la o economie de piață (1994)
  • Reforma piețelor financiare din România (1999)
  • Șamanul Albastru (The Blue Shaman, poems, 1994)
  • Statuia Comandorului (The Statue of Commander, stories, 1994)

Adaptations

  • Readings, stage interpretations and festival presentations based on The Book of Whispers

Translations of Works

  • English (Alistair Blyth, Yale University Press, 2017)
  • French (Laure Hinckel & Marily Le Nir, 2013)
  • German (Ernest Wichner, 2013/2015)
  • Spanish (Joaquin Garrigos, 2010)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
memoir-infused, symbolic prosenarrative blending history and private memorypoetic, lyrical prose
Recurring Motifs
whispers (voices of memory)intergenerational traumaArmenian history and identity

Legacy

Varujan Vosganian is internationally recognized both as a politician/economist and as a writer who gives literary form to Armenian memory and twentieth-century suffering. The Book of Whispers has become a symbolic work commemorating genocide, translated into over twenty languages and presented internationally.

Academic Societies

  • Romanian Society of Economy (SOREC) — founding member
  • Union of Writers in Romania

Archives

  • Materials held on the personal website and in Romanian public records

In Popular Culture

  • The Book of Whispers is frequently used in events, readings and university courses addressing memory of genocide

Quotes

  • "The book was written between 2003 and 2008. It is at the same time autobiography, fiction and historical document. The characters and the events recounted are true. What I have added is the power of symbols."
    Source: Author interview (about The Book of Whispers) (2009)

Trivia

  • His books have been translated into more than 20 languages.
  • Born to an Armenian family; his grandparents were survivors of the Armenian genocide.