Women’s voices in war through literature at YSU event

The event was jointly organized by the YSU Center for Continuing Education, YSU Library, PEN Armenia, ARI Literature Foundation, and EDGE Publishing House. The purpose of the event was to draw attention to the role of women in wartime situations by revealing their experiences and stories through literature. 

Lusine Kharatyan, Director of YSU Center for Continuing Education, while introducing the authors and their works, emphasized the importance of the theme addressed. She noted that discussions on such topics contribute to the exposure of always relevant social issues, promote dialogue around them through literature, and foster new connections between creators and readers.

The authors of the aforementioned books, Tamta Melashvili and Radka Denemarková, spoke at the event about the story behind the creation of their books, shared stories and events, and reflected on their research related to the discussed themes.

The "Counting Out" is a work by the Georgian writer Tamta Melashvili (translated from Georgian by Asya Darbinyan and edited by Armen Ohanyan). It tells the story of two teenage friends trapped in a provincial town. Through everyday language and narratives, the author reveals the true "face" of war. This novel not only narrates the history of war but also reminds us that women do not remain silent in the most difficult moments; they continue to fight, express themselves, and shape the surrounding reality with their hearts and minds.  

"I wrote this book in 2010 as an attempt to express my feelings about the Russia-Germany war. Although I was not writing books at the time and had no intention of becoming a writer, it was the only thing we could do. Through it, I wanted to express my protest and anger against that war and wars in general," said Tamta Melashvili.

The "Counting Out" was awarded Georgia’s most prestigious Saba Prize, has been translated into more than six languages, and staged as a play. 

The "Money from Hitler" is a work by the Czech prose writer, playwright, and translator Radka Denemarková, who has won the renowned Czech Magnesia Litera Prize four times. Her works have been translated into 23 languages. 

The book tells the story of 16-year-old Gita Lauschmanová, who survives the genocide but loses her parents and sister in a concentration camp. Through this protagonist, the author presents events that occurred from the aftermath of World War II to the beginning of the 21st century. The narrative, told in a distinctive style, follows the heroine first as a teenage girl and later as an elderly woman. In 1945, she returns to her birthplace—the Czech village of Puklice—hoping to build a new life, but events take a different course. 

Denemarková’s novel is both a personal and political tragedy. It explores how trauma is passed down through generations and how justice may be delayed. The book portrays not only pain and loss but also symbolizes hope and unity, thereby emphasizing the role of women in the fight against war.

"When writing the book, I had one question in mind: What is the mentality of Central Europe? Although today the world freely discusses various topics such as gender discrimination and violence, there are still subjects people avoid talking about. For this reason, I decided to write on German-speaking Jewish families in Czechoslovakia (present-day Czech Republic and Slovakia) who were treated unjustly after World War II simply because they spoke German," said the author. 

The Armenian translations of "Counting Out" and "Money from Hitler" were published through the initiative of EDGE Publishing House with co-financing from the European Union.

During the meeting, a series of questions related to war, trauma, memory, and the restoration of justice were discussed. 

Asya Darbinyan, the translator of "Counting Out", and Armen Ohanyan (Armen Armenyantsi), the editor, addressed the challenges of translation and editing as well as their creative approaches.

Participants had the opportunity to ask questions to the authors, share their impressions, discuss the impact of war, explore different forms of women’s involvement, and examine the importance of literature in preserving historical memory. The attendees underscored the necessity of amplifying women’s voices in wartime and highlighted the role of literature in conveying those voices.

The event concluded with an emphasis that the theme "Women and War" is important not only in literary but also in social and political contexts, reminding us that war has many "faces" and that women are often direct witnesses whose stories must be told to the world.