On February 22, 2026, at 6:00 PM, the small hall of the Woods Center hosted a creative evening dedicated to the work of poet and prose writer Karen Antashyan, as part of the “BukuBoran” Literary-Musical Festival. Held in an intimate and warm atmosphere, the event aimed to summarize the author’s creative journey and the aesthetic transformations reflected throughout his bibliography.
The evening was moderated by literary critic and Director of “Granish” Publishing House, Hasmik Hakobyan. The conversation touched upon all of the author’s published works, spanning from his early poetry collections to his most recent prose work, Lav Prtsa (A Lucky Escape).
A Literary Trajectory: From Poetry to Documentary Stand-Up
The dialogue between Hasmik Hakobyan and Karen Antashyan centered on the unique stylistic characteristics of the author’s texts. The discussion explored several key themes:
- Poetic Experience: How the author’s linguistic thinking has evolved over the years in relation to a transforming reality.
- A New Format for Prose: The author detailed his choice of the “documentary stand-up” genre used in Lav Prtsa—a tool designed to reinterpret personal and collective traumas through the lens of laughter and reflection.
- The Philosophy of the Mundane: The participants traced the common thread running through all of Antashyan’s work: the mastery of extracting existential questions from everyday, domestic stories.
Public Dialogue
The evening concluded with an active Q&A session, sparking an engaging debate on the genre templates that distinguish prose from poetry. This interaction with the audience allowed for a deeper exploration of the contemporary writer’s role in an era dominated by digital and visual media. According to the author, festival formats like these are the best platforms for keeping literature alive and part of the public consciousness.
While the “BukuBoran” festival is a newcomer to Armenia’s cultural scene, it demonstrates great potential for becoming an established and widely recognized institution.
