SONA VAN

Name Sona Anushavani Ter-Hovhanissian

(Per Birth Certificate)        


Pen Name Sona Van

Birthplace Yerevan, The Republic of Armenia 

Profession Poet, Author, Essayist, Publisher

Languages Armenian, Russian, English

Ethnicity Armenian

Citizenship   Republic of Armenian (Birth-Present)

  The United States of America (1978-Present)

Education Yerevan Medical Institute (Doctorate Degree) 1975

American University of California (Masters of Clinical

Psychology)    (year)

Awards -    Cultural Ministry of Armenia Gold Medal

- Movses Khorenatsi Medal Recipient

- Ambassador of Armenian Language Medal 

- Ministry of The Diaspora Gold Medal

- Golden Apricot Film Festival Medal of Recognition

- California Chamber of Commerce Woman in Literature Award. 2013

- Saint Petersburg Spiritual-Cultural Organization’s Medal of Recognition

- Recipient of The Fridtjof Nansen Foundation of Armenia Award for Humanitarianism and Compassion. 2017

- Winner of The Homer European Medal of Poetry and Art for her Polish Translation of Libretto for the Desert (2018) and Winner of the Klemens Janicki International Prize (2017)

- Numerous International Literary Recognitions, Honorary Diplomas, Awards, and Prizes. 


Biography

Sona Van is an Armenian Born author who has published 14 books of poetry that have, to date, been translated and published in 20 different languages around the world. She has lived in Los Angeles, California since 1978.  



Professional Career


Sona Van’s poetry have been translated into over twenty languages, to date. These include English, French, Russian, German, Farsi, Turkish, Greek, Bulgarian, Polish, and Ukrainian.  She has pubished nine named volumes of poetry. 


Between 1996-1997, Sona Van was the Editor/Publisher of «Եղիցի լույս» (Let There Be Light) cultural and literary monthly journal in Los Angeles, California.  Since 2006, she has been the co-founder and patron of «Նարցիս» (Narcissus) cultural, art and literary journal which she has also been the editor of since 2013.

In 2013, she was awarded the Movses Khorenatsi Cultural Ambassador Award by the Armenian Embassy in Los Angeles for her remarkable contribution to the preservation of the Armenian language and culture. 


In 2018, the Polish Translation of Sona Van’s Libretto for the Desert, was awarded the Klemens Janicki prize for International poetry. In Poland, she was also awarded the Homer Medal which she received at the Homer Awards Ceremony in New York in 2018. 


Bibliography

  • 1. «ՓՇՐԱՆՔՆԵՐ»   Phonetically, Pshrankner (Fragments)   
  • (Ayp u Pen Publishing, Los Angeles, Ca 1996)
  • 2. «ԵՍ ԱՆՈՒՆ ՉՈՒՆԵՄ» Phonetically, Es Anoon Choonem (I Do Not Have a Name)
  • Armenian Writer’s Union Publishing, Yerevan, Armenian 2003
  • 3. «ԵՍ ԱՆՈՒՆ ՉՈՒՆԵՄ» Phonetically, Es Anoon Choonem (I Do Not Have a Name)
  • Georgian Translation, Tiblisi, Republic of Georgia 2005
  • 4. «ԵՍ ՁԱՅՆ ԵՄ ԼՍՈՒՄ» Phonetically, Es Tsayn Em Lsoom (I Hear a Voice)
  • Kraper Publishing, Yerevan, Armenia 2006
  • 5. «ՉԱՌԱ ԱՆՈՒՆՈՎ ԹՌՉՈՒՆԸ» Phonetically, Chara Anoonov Terchuneh (A Bird Named Chara)
  • Kragan Etalon Publishing, Yerevan, Armenia 2010
  • 6. «ПАРАЛЛЕЛЬНЫЕ БЕССОННИЦЫ» Russian Translation of «ՉԱՌԱ ԱՆՈՒՆՈՎ ԹՌՉՈՒՆԸ» Phonetically, Chara Anoonov Terchuneh (A Bird Named Chara)
  • Arsis Books Publishing, Moscow, Russian Federation 2010
  • 7. «ՉԱՌԱ ԱՆՈՒՆՈՎ ԹՌՉՈՒՆԸ» Phonetically, Chara Anoonov Terchuneh (A Bird Named Chara) Second Publication 
  • Kragan Etalon Publishing, Yerevan, Armenia 2011
  • 8. «ՉԸՆԴՀԱՏՎԱԾ ՇԱՀԵՐԱԶԱԴԵ» Phonetically, Chenthadvadz Shaherzadeh (Uninterrupted Sheharzadeh)
  •  (Anthology 1996-2013)
  • Kragan Etalon Publishing, Yerevan, Armenia 2013
  • 9. «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)
  • Edit Print, Yerevan, Armenia 2015
  • 10. «LIBRETTO FOR THE DESERT» English Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ»
  • Noyan Tapan Publishing, Yerevan, Armenia 2015
  • 11. ТЕАТР ОДНОЙ ПТИЦЫ»
  • Москва, 2015, изд. «ПРИНТЛЕТО»
  • 12. «LIBRETTO FOR THE DESERT» Farsi Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ»
  • Noyan Tapan Publishing, Yerevan, Armenia 2016
  • 13. «LIBRETTO FOR THE DESERT» Turkish Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ»
  • Pelkeh Publishing, Istanbul, Turkey 2016
  • 14. «ЛIБРЕТО ДЛЯ ПУСТЕЛI» Ukrainian Tranlation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ»
  • Львiв, 2016, Виговництво «Старого Лева»
  • 15. «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻՆ» Arabic Translation 
  • Published by the Catholicos,  Beirut, Lebanon 2016
  • 16. «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)  Second Printing
  • Noyan Tapan Publishing, Yerevan, Armenia 2016
  • 17. «ТАНЕЦ НА ПЕСКЕ»
  • Ереван, 2017, изд. «Новел» 
  • 18. «ЛИБРЕТТО ДЛЯ ПУСТЫНИ» Russian Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)
  • Москва, 2017, изд. «Галактика»
  • 19. «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)  Third Printing
  • April Publishing, Yerevan, Armenia 2018
  • 20. «LA FIANCÉE DU DÉSERT» French Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)
  • Editions Institut Culturel de Solenzara Publishig, Paris, France 2018
  • 21. «LIBRETTO FÜR DIE WÜSTE» German Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)
  • Anthea Verlag Publishing, Berlin, Germany 2018            
  • 22. «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Georgian Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)
  • Georgian Writer’s Union Publishing, Tiblisi, Georgia 2018 
  • 23. «DROGA DO NIBA» Polish Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)
  • Mirsze Wybrane (Translating from Russian)
  • BYDGOSZCZ, 2018, Biblioteka «Tematu»
  • 24. «ՓՇՐԱՆՔՆԵՐ»   Phonetically, Pshrankner (Fragments)  Second Publication
  • Spiga Publishing, Yerevan, Armenia 2018
  • 25. «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Bulgarian Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)
  • Bulgaria, 2018
  • 26. «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Serbian Translation of «ԼԻԲՐԵՏՈ ԱՆԱՊԱՏԻ ՀԱՄԱՐ» Phonetically, Libretto Anabadi Hamar (Libretto for the Desert)
  • Serbia, 2018

Sona Van has several other completed works in various stages of publication, including several more international translations of her highly acclaimed, Libretto for the Desert. with Spanish, Chinese and Kenyan translations pending publication. 

REVIEWS AND PRAISE FOR SONA VAN


“Sona Van is a model for contemporary poets, both in the depth of her poetic thoughts and the complexity of her poetic art.”


- Darius Thomas Lebioda

Poet & Publisher

Sona Van’s works are charged with great energy, simplicity, beauty, universal messages to the world, reflecting ancient patterns with the most contemporary tools. 

- Stanley H. Barkan

 Poet & Publisher

It is as though her words are written upon steamed glass with the light touch of a fingerprint sharing secrets with the reader. She is speaking with her sisters buried beneath the desert sand whose bones can be uncovered until this day (if you dig a little). After reading her book, I only have one desire: to go to that desert. 

- Ragip Zarakolu

Writer, Publisher, Human Rights Advocate


Sona Van’s hauntingly beautiful poetry conjures up powerful images of those souls who perished in the desert. Her evocative words speak for the one and a half million innocent Armenian men, women and children who were silenced during the Armenian Genocide.  

- Rep. Adam Schiff

U.S. Congressman

[Sona Van’s] moving poems makes one understand and identify with the trauma of genocide and denial.

- Yair Auron

Israeli historian, Scholar, and Genocide Studies Expert


Like a vocal signal sounding loudly in the indifferent ear of the modern world, Sona Van’s words take you to the root of human existence. She is a shining star in the poetic universe.  I am proud to be her contemporary.

- Hranoush Hagopian

Minister of the Diaspora

Republic of Armenia


Sona Van arrives as the new Sappho of our time, with a velocity of thought that exceeds the velocity of lightening.  She achieves an aesthetic and spiritual balance in the trinity of universe, god and man, that is unprecedented.  

- David Gasparyan

 Literary Critic

Sona Van’s conceptual chronology starts at least from Narekatsi (10th Century).  She has inherited from her immortalized literary ancestors the combination of ontological openness and practical ingeniousness.  She is not lured by traditional constraints.  She in no way abandons her voice, rhythm, and associative freedom.  Sona Van is referred to as “The New Sappho.” She is new in everything. But, the most innovative thing about Sona Van’s poetry is her natural sense of time—a sense that is deeper and more ancient that time immemorial. 

- Ilya Falikov

Poet, Translator, and Literary Critic

Moscow, Russia


The ultimate poetic effect is not only acoustic, but also a symphonic and existential understanding that delivers the reader into a pleasant vertigo, causing them to lean upon a person nearby.  This is the seeing woman’s dialogue with the mannequin of time. 

- Yuri Belyavskiy

Edior of Culture Magazine

Moscow, Russia



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