Introducing the Mentees of IALA’s 2026 Mentorship Program
We are excited to welcome the class of mentees for IALA’s sixth annual Mentorship Program—which will run until August 31st, 2026—working on poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and literary translation!
Evita Arakelian is a poet whose work has appeared in anthologies such as “Rebirth” (The Selkie) and “Weaving the Light” (Quillkeepers Press), as well as in several literary journals, including Talon Review, Eunoia Press, and A New Ulster. Her poem “Child” was shortlisted for the Hemlock Journal Poetry Competition in 2025, and her poem “The Memory of a Star” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net Anthology in 2022. She holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and serves as a volunteer reader for Palette Poetry, where her craft essay was published in January 2026.
Arev Dinkjian grew up in an Armenian household in Fort Lee, NJ. She was always surrounded by art, sourced by her musical father and grandfather, and her creative mother, Margo. Arev graduated from Providence College with a degree in elementary and special education and taught fourth grade in the Paterson Public School District for several years before becoming a Library Assistant. She also dedicated many summers to AYF Camp Haiastan, which she says will always serve as a source of inspiration for her writing.
Vika Dzhobadze is a first-generation queer Armenian-American and aspiring poet based in Harlem. After graduating with a B.A. in History from North Carolina State University, they came to understand the interconnection between power and poetry. Vika found joy in writing poetry about their upbringing, their family, and the Armenian diaspora. Their work has been published in the Armenian Weekly and Split Pomegranate Charity zine.
Sona Gevorgyan lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she is undertaking a one-year voluntary mission and living and working with people with intellectual disabilities. From 2018 to 2023, she worked as a teacher and humanitarian worker in Nagorno-Karabakh. She began her writing career recently and is now preparing to publish her first book of short stories. Her creative interests include documentary photography, meeting people, and exploring new environments as an inspiration for her writing.
Tatev Mirzayan is a student at UCLA. She has a deep love for literature, how it affects and is affected by the world, with language able to manipulate narratives and create spaces closer to the reality of lived experiences than direct recollections.
Julie Mitchell is a writer and comedian in New York by way of New Orleans. Her writing can be found in VICE, McSweeney’s, Paste, The Best of the Seven Deadly Sins: Comedians and Storytellers Confess, as well as on Substack, her movie review blog called I Heard the Book Was Better, and her diary. Her dreams include finding the perfect mascara and world peace.
Olivia Mouradian is a journalist from Michigan. Since graduating from the University of Michigan in 2023, she has held positions in the legal and public radio fields. She has contributed to Azad Archives and CivilNet.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Barig Nalbantian studied English literature and vocal performance at New York University and Manhattan School of Music. She moved to Germany in 2001 and began writing small ensemble productions, the most recent being a political satire on the re-election of Donald Trump with a humorous analysis by decapitated royal, Marie Antoinette. All have been performed in Tübingen, where she is currently a resident with her husband and two children. She is the recipient of two MWK Baden-Württemberg State Grants and one Deutscher Musikrat Federal Grant for the promotion of the arts.
Margo Sargsyan is a translator and communication specialist based in Yerevan, Armenia. She works across English, Armenian, and Russian, with experience in medical, educational, and international contexts since 2020. Her recent focus is on literary translation, particularly contemporary Armenian fiction. She is currently working on translating both a scientific text and a work of fiction, exploring the balance between accuracy and voice. Margo is interested in themes of identity, memory, and human experience, and aims to contribute to making Armenian literature more accessible to wider audiences.
Nazareth Seferian was born in Canada, grew up in India, and moved to Armenia in 1998, where he has been living ever since. His university education was not specific to writing or translation, but his love of books led him to literature. He began literary translations in 2011, and his published works include translations of novels and short stories by Gurgen Khanjyan, Mushegh Galshoyan, Susanna Harutyunyan, Grig, Hovik Afyan, Karine Khodikyan, Aram Pachyan, Arman Aghlamazyan, and more. This is his first foray into the world of writing. Nazareth is married and has three children.
Nairi Simonyan is a writer based in Los Angeles, California. In 2016, she self-published her first novel, From Afar. Since then, she earned her B.A. in Creative Writing at California State University, Northridge, and her work has appeared multiple times in The Northridge Review. She serves her global Armenian community as the Social Media Marketing Coordinator for the International Armenian Literary Alliance. Nairi is also the Publishing Assistant for Betty Books, an imprint of WTAW Press, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science at San Jose State University. A lover of magical realism and historical fantasy, she is currently working on her second novel set in Ancient Armenia.
Lela Tolajian is a pushcart-nominated writer, journalist, and the founder of the International Coalition Against Modern Slavery. Her fiction and poetry have been published in The Core Review and The Georgetown Anthem. Her nonfiction has been published in Al Jazeera and USA Today. In May, she will graduate from Georgetown University.
Terenig Topjian is an Apple Design Award-winning designer and writer based in Los Angeles. With two decades of experience in visual design, interactive narrative, and creative direction, he has helped shape story-driven experiences from blockbuster movies to children’s stories. His writing is rooted in a deep interest in imagination, ecology, culture, and human possibilities. He is currently working on Rivin and the Dreamweavers’ Secret, the first book in a planned middle-grade fantasy series. For a sneak peek, feel free to visit terenig.com
Saro Varjabedian is a Queens-born writer, filmmaker, and writer of Armenian descent. A Columbia MFA graduate, he has built a career as an award-winning director, cinematographer, and screenwriter, with work screening internationally and being acquired by major platforms such as HBO and Gravitas Ventures. His feature film Respite won Best Director and Best Picture at the 2021 Golden Door International Film Festival. He is the co-host of the podcast Coffee, Matcha, and Soul and the author of the hybrid fiction-memoir Tim and Robot: A Spiritual Agnostic’s Guidance to a Newly Formed Consciousness. He is working on his first science fiction novel, Ascension.
Meet the mentors of IALA’s 2026 Mentorship Program here.