Armenian National Committee of Canada
press release
World Premiere of “Aram’s Choice” in Ottawa
Ottawa – A novel about a group of young Armenian orphans, who were rescued from the Armenian Genocide and brought to Canada in 1923 and settled in Georgetown, Ont., was launched at the embassy of the Republic of Armenia on June 7. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, the author of “Aram’s Choice” attended the book’s premiere.
The main character of the novel is based on Kevork Kevorkian, one of the original “Georgetown Boys”—a group of 50 orphans who were settled in a southern Ontario farm in the early ‘20s. The novel is richly illustrated in colour by Muriel Wood.
Victoria Cop, master of ceremony and president of the Armenian Students Association of Ottawa, introduced Armand Hagopian, the charge d’ affaires of the embassy. The Armenian diplomat said Skrypuch’s writings are an important tool to educate school children—the future leaders of Canada—about the Armenian Genocide.
Aris Babikian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC), introduce the author of “Aram’s Choice.” Babikian recalled that he had first met Skrypuch 16 years ago, and had collaborated with Marsha on many projects. He also acknowledged the author’s assistance to Aram Ayvezian when the latter was writing his memoirs as a survivor of the Armenian Genocide and his pioneering work on Hai Tad.
Skrypuch talked about the circumstances which introduced her to the Armenian Genocide and compelled her to write about the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from Ottoman Turkey from 1915 to 1923. She recalled that at the beginning the Georgetown Boys and other survivors had been cautious about talking to her. But once she had gained their trust she was welcomed and treated as one of the family. She also talked about her arduous early efforts to gather data on the Georgetown Boys and the Armenian Genocide and about the difficulties she faced in her efforts to publish her book before the breakthrough in 1999 of “The Hunger”—her first book on the Armenian Genocide. Since then she has published two more books “Nobody’s Child” (2003), and “Aram’s Choice” (2006).
The author was overcome with emotion when she read short passages from her three books. The passages encapsulated the suffering, the heroism and survival instincts of her characters.
During Q & A, Skrypuch said she limited her research to the testimonies of the survivors, missionaries, diplomats and other eye witnesses accounts and reports. She also stressed that although her books are fictions, they are based on real people and events.
At the end of reading, she presented Babikian a specially-printed poster of “Aram’s Choice”s cover jacket as a token of appreciation for the latter’s long-time support and friendship.
In appreciation of Skrypuch’s efforts, Armand Hagopian, charge d’ affaires of the embassy, presented the writer with a DVD of Canadian-Armenian opera singer Isabel Bayrakdaryan’s “Long Journey Home” and Dr. Garabed Khacherian survivor diary.
In addition to her published works, Skrypuch has two more books due for publication in 2007. “Call me Aram” will be a sequel to “Aram’s Choice” while “Daughter of War” a sequel to “Nobody’s Child.”
In sales, “Nobody’s Child” has been her most successful book. It was nominated for the 2005 Red Maple Award, the 2005 Alberta Rocky Mountain Book Award, the 2006 BC Stellar Award, and was listed by Resource Links as one of the best books of 2004.
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The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
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