Syrian-Armenian repatriate writer Jean-Vartan (Hovhannes Ekmekchian) has released his book of poems entitled “Outburst”, which was presented during an event held by the Union of Writers of Armenia. On this occasion, Hayern Aysor’s correspondent also attended the event and sat down for an interview with the poet.

Hayern Aysor: Mr. Ekmekchian, I congratulate you on the release and presentation of your book. I believe you are a farmer by profession. How did you find yourself in the world of literature?

Hovhannes Ekmekchian: First, I would like to thank you for your presence and your congratulatory remarks. True, I am a cultivator by profession, but I have never cultivated in my life. In Aleppo I would produce and sell clothes. My products would be exported and were well known. Everything was destroyed during the war. I have always loved literature and have read a lot of books. I received my education at the AGBU L. Najarian-C. Gulbenkian Secondary School and went on to graduate from the Department of Agriculture of the local university. My kindergarten teacher was Garabed Juharian, a wonderful individual who had raised a generation of patriots. He had a great influence on my childhood and teenage years. He would always tell me: “Write! Don’t be lazy! Not everyone has the gift of writing…You useless!” I didn’t take my kindergarten teacher’s advice for 40 consecutive years. At the age of 50, I took his advice and wrote two poems entitled “Autumn” and “Prayer”. I would sometimes write for myself, but not for publishing. When my family and I repatriated to Armenia three years ago, I had more free time. I would play the guitar, and I also started writing. The homeland gave me energy. There was an outburst, and I created the book of poems entitled “Outburst”, which includes 50 poems devoted to love, patriotism and philosophy.

Hayern Aysor: Mr. Ekmekchian, why did you choose the name Jean Vartan?

H. E.: Vartan is my son’s name. Starting in 1987, the year my son was born, the Syrian government would make everyone have products and clothing have the national trademark on them. I thought the most appropriate would be my son’s name, Jean-Vartan, under which I go as a poet.

Hayern Aysor: Have you ever written prose?

H. E.: I have some satirical poems devoted to the life of the Armenians of Aleppo that I still don’t dare to publish (approaching the satirical genre after Paronyan is a great responsibility and takes great courage).

Hayern Aysor: Jean-Vartan, what did you find in the Homeland?

H. E.: I found everything that I had been dreaming of.

Hayern Aysor: What does the Homeland mean to you?

H. E.: After this, the Homeland means everything to me. I can express my feelings in the following lines:

The homeland was different from what we had learned,

It was not merely a study or merely scientific,

The land didn’t bring me down, it gave me wings

To soar over my roots infinitely.

Hayern Aysor: Will you return to Syria after the war?

H. E.: No, never! I have decided to stay here. Of course, each person has to go and come back a couple of times…I still have a house there, but the factories have been robbed. After all, we Armenians of Aleppo have schools, churches and cultural centers that we need to protect.

Hayern Aysor: Well, Mr. Ekmekchian, on behalf of the staff at the editorial office of Hayern Aysor electronic newspaper, I congratulate you on the release of your first book entitled “Outburst” and wish to see you have more emotional outbursts.

Karine Avagyan