Hagop Oshagan (1883-1948)

Hagop Oshagan (1883-1948)

Hagop Oshagan (née Kufejian) was born in the province of Brusa, near Constantinople. He was unable to complete his education at the Armash Seminary because of poverty. By his own efforts, he acquired a high level of knowledge in literature, thus becoming a famous literary critic and teacher on one hand, and a prominent writer, on the other. Starting in 1902, he began contributing short stories and critical pieces to Armenian publications in Istanbul. He wrote the series “Khonarhner,” (“The modest ones.”) In 1914, together with Taniel Varoujan, Gosdan Zarian, and Hagop Sirouni he prepared the publication of “Mehian” (“Temple”) literary magazine. In 1915, he escaped the Armenian Genocide by going into hiding. A few years later, together with Vahan Tekeyian, he once again returns to teaching and publishing in Constantinople. Afterward, he becomes a dedicated teacher of Armenian literature and a conscientious literary critic in Cyprus and Jerusalem. It is in those years that he published his novels “Dzag bdoug” (“Broken pot,”) “Haji Abdullah,” and “Mnatsortats” (“The remainders.”) Afterwards, he prepares for publication the ten volumes of his monumental “A panorama of Western Armenian literature.” He died in Aleppo, where he was invited to take part in the jubilee celebrations dedicated to him.