The Armenian Communities Department has launched a new book translation project entitled the Zartiss Collection. The Zartiss publication series makes available in Western Armenian some of the most renowned international children’s literature. 

The books are adapted to different reading levels and are suitable for children and teenagers ranging from three to 18 years old. They include a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles. The Zartiss Collection is published by NorHaratch in Europe and Abril Books in the US. The books are distributed across the world and can be ordered from the respective publishers.  

Between 2019 and 2020 ten books are being translated from English, French, Portuguese, Chinese and other languages into Western Armenian for the first time. 

The first two books of the series have already been published: “C’est moi le plus fort!” by Mario Ramos «Ե՛ս եմ ամենէն ուժովը» and “Enquanto o meu Cabelo Crescia” by Isabel Minhos Martins «Մինչ մազերս կ՚երկննային». 

Upcoming books to be released shortly include: “On my Way to Buy Eggs” by Chen Chih-Yuan, “War Horse” by Michael Morpurgo and “Les Derniers Géants” by François Place. Other non-fiction titles are now being selected.

“We are very excited to launch the Zartiss Collection of books” said Razmik Panossian, the Director of the Armenian Communities Department. He added, “there is a real dearth of high quality children’s books in Western Armenian, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is addressing that need. These books contribute directly to the revitalisation of Western Armenian by encouraging children and teenagers to read world literature in beautifully translated Armenian.”