AGBU Webtalks

Zabel Yessayan: Writing Against Injustice

In the fourth from a series of videos about Zabel Yessayan, Judy Saryan recounts the writer’s experiences during the years of the Armenian Genocide. After a narrow escape from Turkish authorities in April 1915, Yessayan dedicated herself to documenting the atrocities unfolding at home in Constantinople. Steadfast to her commitment to give voice to the voiceless, Yessayan used her pen and her connections to disseminate information, to collect and publish eyewitness accounts from survivors and most unusually for her time, to expose the particular violence inflicted on women and children as a tool of genocide.

Judith Saryan embarked on a career in publishing, editing and writing after 37 years in finance. In partnership with the Armenian International Women's Association (AIWA), she helped to publish three works in English translation by Zabel Yessayan.