Armenian National Committee of Canada
130 Albert St., Suite 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel. (613) 235-2622 Fax (613) 238-2622
national.office@anc-canada.com

PRESS RELEASE
June 07, 2006

Contact: Roupen Kouyoumjian
Tel. (613) 235-2622

World Premiere of “Aram’s Choice” in Ottawa

Ottawa – A novel about a group of young Armenian orphans, who were
rescued from the Armenian Genocide and brought to Canada in 1923 and
settled in Georgetown, Ont., was launched at the embassy of the Republic
of Armenia on June 7. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, the author of “Aram’s
Choice” attended the book’s premiere.

The main character of the novel is based on Kevork Kevorkian, one of the
original “Georgetown Boys”-a group of 50 orphans who were settled in a
southern Ontario farm in the early ’20s. The novel is richly illustrated
in colour by Muriel Wood.

Victoria Cop, master of ceremony and president of the Armenian Students
Association of Ottawa, introduced Armand Hagopian, the charge d’
affaires of the embassy. The Armenian diplomat said Skrypuch’s writings
are an important tool to educate school children-the future leaders of
Canada-about the Armenian Genocide.

Aris Babikian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of
Canada (ANCC), introduce the author of “Aram’s Choice.” Babikian
recalled that he had first met Skrypuch 16 years ago, and had
collaborated with Marsha on many projects. He also acknowledged the
author’s assistance to Aram Ayvezian when the latter was writing his
memoirs as a survivor of the Armenian Genocide and his pioneering work
on Hai Tad.

Skrypuch talked about the circumstances which introduced her to the
Armenian Genocide and compelled her to write about the ethnic cleansing
of Armenians from Ottoman Turkey from 1915 to 1923. She recalled that
at the beginning the Georgetown Boys and other survivors had been
cautious about talking to her. But once she had gained their trust she
was welcomed and treated as one of the family. She also talked about her
arduous early efforts to gather data on the Georgetown Boys and the
Armenian Genocide and about the difficulties she faced in her efforts to
publish her book before the breakthrough in 1999 of “The Hunger”-her
first book on the Armenian Genocide. Since then she has published two
more books “Nobody’s Child” (2003), and “Aram’s Choice” (2006).

The author was overcome with emotion when she read short passages from
her three books. The passages encapsulated the suffering, the heroism
and survival instincts of her characters.

During Q & A, Skrypuch said she limited her research to the testimonies
of the survivors, missionaries, diplomats and other eye witnesses
accounts and reports. She also stressed that although her books are
fictions, they are based on real people and events.

At the end of reading, she presented Babikian a specially-printed poster
of “Aram’s Choice”s cover jacket as a token of appreciation for the
latter’s long-time support and friendship.

In appreciation of Skrypuch’s efforts, Armand Hagopian, charge d’
affaires of the embassy, presented the writer with a DVD of
Canadian-Armenian opera singer Isabel Bayrakdaryan’s “Long Journey Home”
and Dr. Garabed Khacherian survivor diary.

In addition to her published works, Skrypuch has two more books due for
publication in 2007. “Call me Aram” will be a sequel to “Aram’s Choice”
while “Daughter of War” a sequel to “Nobody’s Child.”

In sales, “Nobody’s Child” has been her most successful book. It was
nominated for the 2005 Red Maple Award, the 2005 Alberta Rocky Mountain
Book Award, the 2006 BC Stellar Award, and was listed by Resource Links
as one of the best books of 2004.

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The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of
issues.

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Catharines – Windsor – Vancouver