Boghos Snabian (1927-2014)
Boghos Snabian was born on August 11, 1927, in the Bitias village of Musa Ler. He received his primary education in his birthplace and at the “Harach” Armenian School in Anjar, Lebanon. In 1944, he enrolled in the Armenian Theological Seminary of Jerusalem. Upon his graduation from the Seminary in 1949, he returned to Lebanon, where he took up teaching positions at Armenian schools in Anjar and Beirut. From 1950 onward, his writings were published in the “Nayiri” and “Agos” literary magazines. He also contributed short stories, impressionist essays, literary critiques and articles to a series of diasporan newspapers. For two years, in 1957 and 1959, he published “Mitchnapert” Literary Yearbook. When in January 1962 the “Pakin” Literary Magazine was first published at the initiative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and under the editorship of Garo Sassouni, Boghos Snabian, together with Yetvard Boyajian, was invited to serve as editor. In 1962, he moved to Paris and audited literature and philosophy courses at the Sorbonne and the Alliance Française. Upon his return to Beirut, he resumed his work in “Pakin.” He continued to be the editor of “Pakin” for 42 years, until 2003. Alongside with his editorial work, Snabian taught Armenian literature in Armenian high schools in Anjar and Beirut. From 1966 until 1973, he joined the editorial team of Aztag Daily, as the editor of the pages dedicated to Armenian national, as well as literary and cultural, issues. He served as a member of jury for the Kevork Melidinets Literary Award (founded in 1966 by the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia) and edited more than 50 literary volumes. He also lectured at the Hamazkayin Higher Institute for Armenian Studies in Lebanon, from 1983 until 2003. Starting in 2007 and until his death, he was the editor of Aztag Daily’s Literary Supplement. Snabian’s first publication was “Dagh Drdmoutyan” (“Song of Grief”), published in “Sion,” the official magazine of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. His first novel, “Jamanag Tchga” (“There is No Time”) was published in 1953, in Beirut. Afterwards, he published more than 30 books (novels, literary critiques, and essays) and 10 more volumes remain ready for publishing. He also edited and published 75 volumes containing the works of other authors. In 2003, he was awarded with the Movses Khorenatsi Medal of the Republic of Armenia, the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, and the Hamazkayin Medal of the Central Executive Board of Hamazkayin, and in 2010 he received a Letter of Blessing from the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Boghos Snabian passed away in June 14, 2014.