Yervant Odian

Yervant Odian (; 19 September 1869 – 1926) was an Ottoman Armenian satirist, journalist and playwright. He is regarded as one of the most influential Armenian satirists, along with his contemporary Hagop Baronian. He is best known for his work Comrade Panchooni ("Panchooni" being a pun on the Armenian words for "has nothing"), a satire mocking the Armenian revolutionary parties (such as Dashnaks and Hunchaks) of the time.

Born into a wealthy family in Istanbul, Odian left the city during the Hamidian massacres of 1894–1896 and traveled throughout Europe before returning to Istanbul in 1909. Odian was deported to the Syrian desert during the Armenian genocide and survived; he published his memoirs about his experiences during the genocide in 1919. In a 2013 piece written by Eddie Arnavoudian, he proclaimed "Even if elsewhere equaled in modern Armenian literature, Odian's exposure of the establishment's putrid core has certainly not been bettered". Odian's writing styles are often described as extroverted, as if his is removing his persona from the piece in order to best portray the truth.

Biography

Early life Odian was born into one of the most affluent families in Constantinople (now Istanbul). His father was a writer, diplomat, and translator. His mother also came from a wealthy family.

Later life Yervant Odian eventually returned home to Constantinople in 1909, where he continued his work as a writer. He was then deported to Deir ez-Zor, where was able to escape death by becoming a translator for German officials there, since he knew French and Turkish. Odian's horror of the events of the Armenian genocide pushed him to write his memoirs. He published his memoirs about his experience in the Armenian genocide in Jamanak in 1919. In 2016 the Armenian Museum of Fresno celebrated the 150th birthday of Odian by hosting an event focused on his life and his literary works. There is a street named after Yervant Odian in the Malatia-Sebastia neighborhood of Yerevan.left

Selected works Abdulhamid and Sherlock Holmes (Ապտիւլ Համիտ եւ Շէրլօք Հոլմս), Constantinople 1911 Accursed Years. My Exile and Return from Der Zor, 1914-1919, Garod Books, London 2009 Comrade Clueless (Ընկեր Փանջունի), Constantinople, from 1914 on (several books) (also a Turkish edition published as 'Yoldaş Pançuni' by Aras Pub.in 2008) Twelve Years Out of Istanbul. 1896-1908 (Տասներկու Տարի Պոլսէն Դուրս. 1896-1908), Constantinople 1922 (Reminiscences)