In her speech, Arevik Ashkharoyan covers all the layers of impact that literature has. Starting from getting to know the real culture, the real essence of a foreign nation to the very basic human empathy that emerges from sharing a character’s life. Arevik is convinced that books serve as discoveries for everyone, who aims at seeing and understanding this world. 

Arevik Ashkharoyan, born in Yerevan, was deeply influenced by her teenage years in newly independent Armenia. After graduating from Valeri Brusov University of Linguistics, she worked in international organizations for 10 years and managed an art organization for 3 years. In a pivotal move, Arevik decided to establish her business to boost the growth of modern Armenian literature. In 2010, Arevik became the first literary agent in Armenia, co-founding the first literary agency. She later established the “ARI” literary agency in 2016, followed by the “ARI Literary Foundation” just a year later. She is also the co-founder and secretary of “PEN Armenia” and a member of the advisory board of the International Armenian Literary Alliance. Today, Arevik represents about 20 local authors and participates in international book exhibitions every year. All her efforts are aimed at developing the literary industry in Armenia and increasing international recognition of modern Armenian literature. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.