New Book: ‘Komitas, the Artist and the Martyr’

–A true story in which real characters come alive in an entertaining dialogue

Serge Momjian’s new book, Komitas, the Artist and the Martyr was published on March 6 and dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

Cover of Komitas, the Artist and the Martyr
Cover of Komitas, the Artist and the Martyr

In his book, Momjian tells the story of Komitas, the skillful artist-priest who tours the remote villages in his homeland, collecting and transcribing folk songs. Komitas’s secular performances of Armenian sacred music, which are widely acclaimed, put him on a collision course with his church’s clergy, opening the gates of hell upon him. On the night of April 24, 1915—known as Red Sunday—Komitas is arrested along with 200 other Armenian intellectuals and community leaders and deported far inland by the Ottoman government as a prelude to a premeditated plan to annihilate the Armenian population of Anatolia. Though he is among the few who are reprieved, the terrible nightmare he has experienced, from which he never mentally recovers, takes him into asylums, where he spends the last 20 years of his life.

Serge Momjian studied journalism in London and then attended a degree course in fiction writing. He has worked as a reporter, covering arts and culture for major publications, including Beirut’s Daily Star newspaper and London’s Events news magazine. He devoted his time to writing novels by the time he reached his 40s. His works include Conflicting Motives, The Invisible Line, The Singer of the Opera, and Memories of the Past, all published in London.

To purchase Komitas, the Artist and the Martyr, visit www.januspublishing.co.uk.

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

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