October 6, 2012 - 12:04 AMT
Author Chris Bohjalian to get ANCA-WR Arts and Letters Award

Critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian will be honored with the ANCA-Western Region Arts and Letters Award at its Annual Banquet on Oct 28 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, Asbarez reported.

Bohjalian’s latest book, The Sandcastle Girls, was launched in Los Angeles this summer at a luncheon organized by the ANCA-WR and went on to debut at #7 on the New York Times bestseller list. It also appeared on the Publishers’ Weekly, USA Today, and national Independent Bookstore bestseller lists.

“I hoped that ‘The Sandcastle Girls’ would educate people to the reality of the Armenian Genocide, but I never expected the groundswell of interest from readers across the United States who were unfamiliar with our story. Likewise, I have been overwhelmed by the support of the Armenian community — here and around the world. This particular honor leaves me humbled and moved — and deeply and profoundly grateful,” remarked Bohjalian after learning of the award.

Bohjalian, who has penned fourteen novels, including four other New York Times bestsellers, has called The Sandcastle Girls “the most important book he will ever write.” His novel, Midwives, was a number one New York Times bestseller and was turned into a movie, in addition to two others, “Secrets of Eden” and “Past the Bleachers.”

“Mr. Bohjalian deftly uses his extraordinary writing talent to tell the story of the Armenian Genocide in The Sandcastle Girls, making a significant contribution to the rich literature on this historical tragedy,” said ANCA-WR Co-Chair Chris Guldjian. “The Arts and Letters Award, which Mr. Bohjalian is receiving, recognizes the immense impact this work has had, and will undoubtedly continue to have, on the American public.”