Literary Lights 2024: Featuring Astrid Kamalyan and Leila Boukarim

Our April 2024 Literary Lights event features Astrid Kamalyan, author of Bábo, one of the New York Public Library’s 2023 Best Books for Kids, and Leila Boukarim, author of Lost Words. The event will take place virtually on April 13, 2024 at 9:00 AM Pacific | 12:00 PM Eastern | 8:00 PM Armenia time. Watch the event recording.

It’s rug-washing day! Little Tato sneaks a few cherry plums before racing off to help Bábo—her grandmother—with a favorite chore. Tato is big enough to really help now. When the hose drenches everyone and the chickens get out, is Tato big enough to save the day? This celebration of a childhood ritual invites the reader to spend a day full of fun and love with an Armenian family. Learn more about Bábo.

What is it like to walk away from your home? To leave behind everything and everyone you’ve ever known? Poetic, sensitive, and based on a true family history, this inspiring picture book about the Armenian Genocide shares an often-overlooked history and honors the resilience of the Armenian people. Learn more about Lost Words.

Astrid Kamalyan comes from a big, happy family and is the oldest of five. She spent most of her childhood in Armenia. As a child, she wished she could one day paint the beautiful mountains of Artsakh. Now she paints with words and writes for the most important people in the world—kids. Astrid holds an MBA degree from the American University of Armenia. She currently shares her time between Chicago and Yerevan, Armenia.

Leila Boukarim writes stories for children that inspire empathy and encourage meaningful discussions. She enjoys reading (multiple books at a time), embroidering, nature walking, and spending time with people, listening to their stories and sharing her own. Boukarim lives in Berlin, Germany.

Literary Lights 2024 is a monthly reading series organized by IALA, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), and the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center. Each event—held online—features a writer reading from their work, followed by a discussion with an interviewer and audience members. Keep an eye on our website and socials for the exact dates of each event. Read along with the series by purchasing titles from the IALA Bookstore or the NAASR Bookstore.