Obituary: Anna Hakobyan

It is with profound grief that we learned of the death of renowned literary and public figure, noted translator, Armenia PEN Center President (1999-2017) and honorary member Anna Hakobyan.

Anna Hakobyan was a multitalented person who worked with infinite dedication and enthusiasm. In her youth, she achieved notable success as a chess player, winning several Armenian women’s championships and also representing Armenia as part of the republic’s team. She was given the title of master of sport and earned a unionwide qualification as a referee. After this, she dedicated herself mostly to literary translation, translating the works of several dozen authors from French to Armenian. It is mostly thanks to her work that Armenian readers had the opportunity to read the many works of Albert Camus, André Gide, Paul Valéry, Saint-John Perse, Arthur Rimbaud, Marguerite Duras, and several other French-language writers. She was just as dedicated to her work as a university instructor and her research. She authored more than 30 academic articles and monographs, of which Introduction to Translation Theory (in 2 volumes) has served as an irreplaceable textbook for many generations of students. In the early 1990s, she started working in publication when she cofounded A&M Publishing, which produced selected French literature.

On behalf of all our fellow writers from the PEN international community and the PEN Armenia, we express our condolences to the children and family members of Anna Hakobyan, as well everyone who appreciates her work and legacy.