BELMONT, MA — The International Armenian Literary Alliance, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), and the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center are excited to present the latest in their Literary Lights Series: a conversation with debut author and former NAASR executive director Sarah Ignatius with renowned author and graphic artist Dana Mashoian Walrath in celebration of the launch of Ignatius’ debut novel, The Kaleidoscope of Destiny, on September 22, 2026, at 7:30 pm, at the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building, 395 Concord Avenue in Belmont, MA, also available for viewing online via Zoom and YouTube. Walrath has just launched her own highly praised immersive graphic history, The Book of Genocides, published by Harvard University Press.
Ignatius and Walrath will reflect on the creative process, their portrayal of the Armenian Genocide, and finding hope and common humanity in times of darkness. A book signing and reception will follow. The program is also co-sponsored by the Belmont Public Library. Both books are available for pre-order through bookstores and online, and books will be available for sale in the NAASR Bookstore.
The Kaleidoscope of Destiny, published by Koehler Books, centers around fourteen-year-old Arakel, who dreams of traveling the Silk Road with his two best friends—one Armenian and the other Turkish. But it’s 1915. He is exiled from his home along with his family and nearly every other Armenian. To survive the genocide, he must reach out to people he considers enemies–Arab camel drivers, nomadic Bedouins, Germans, Turks, Kurds, even a wandering dervish–but how can he trust them? The novel explores what lies deep within the human heart and ultimately reaffirms our collective humanity.
The novel begins in Kharpert, the town where Ignatius’ grandfather was born and where her great grandfather graduated in one of the earliest classes at Euphrates College in 1881. “Writing this book meant everything to me,” said Ignatius, “although it is not the story of any one of my relatives. They never imagined one of their descendants would return to the place they were forced to abandon. But I went there on NAASR’s 2006 trip to Armenia and Historic Armenia. That experience opened the door to another world for me. Their memory kept me going during all the years of revision and rejection as did the sincere support and extraordinary literary talent of IALA staff, board, and members and my stellar IALA mentor Dana Mashoian Walrath.”
Kirkus Reviews has given Ignatius’ novel high praise: “This moving account . . . deserves a place on classroom bookshelves and on reading lists next to Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl.” Several scholars have also endorsed it, including these: “A magisterial work of fiction steeped in historical authenticity,” Dr. Khatchig Mouradian, Columbia University, author of The Resistance Network; and “Courageous, tender, and timely. At last, a novel that gives the Armenian Genocide the literary witness it has long deserved. Devastating and quietly luminous,” Dr. Ümit Kurt, University of Newcastle Faculty, Royal Historical Society Fellow, and author of The Armenians of Aintab.
Dana Mashoian Walrath, an acclaimed author and artist, who blends creative writing, comics, art, and anthropology, has just launched her latest work, The Book of Genocides, a graphic history, which has received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist who calls Walrath a “multidisciplinary powerhouse.” Kirkus describes the book as “A highly creative and devastating overview of a grim and global phenomenon.” Publisher’s Weekly has this to say: “While Walrath never shies away from human behavior at its most barbaric, her soulful, naïve-style drawings and collage work deliver grace and humanity to the victims of these cruelties. This brave, heartrending study commands attention.”
Walrath is also the award-winning author of Like Water on Stone, a verse novel about the Armenian Genocide and Aliceheimer’s, a graphic memoir about dementia. A MacDowell Fellow, Fulbright Scholar, and Atlantic Fellow, Walrath has published work in The Nation, The Lancet, Slate, on public radio, and in numerous anthologies, including Menopause: A Comic Treatment—an Eisner Award–winning collection named one of the New York Times Best Graphic Novels of 2020.
“We welcome these two accomplished authors and friends back to NAASR,” said Marc Mamigonian, NAASR Director of Academic Affairs, “and look forward to hosting them as part of this dynamic literary series.”
“It’s gratifying to celebrate Sarah and Dana’s successes together and reflect on IALA’s positive role after knowing how hard Sarah worked, over many years, to make this a reality,” said Olivia Katrandjian, IALA founder and president.
“We’re so happy to see Sarah’s novel coming out,” said Shahé Mankerian, director of IALA’s mentorship program, which is now in its sixth year. “We’re grateful to Dana for her creative insights as a dedicated mentor and Sarah for her belief in this story and perseverance in bringing it to light.”
Two days later, Belmont Books will feature The Kaleidoscope of Destiny on September 24, at 7 pm, where Ignatius will be in conversation with award-winning author Donna Gordon. A listing of upcoming events appears on Ignatius’ website at www.sarahignatius.com.
For further information, contact NAASR at [email protected].
