Rober Koptas, known for his contributions to the Armenian cultural sphere in Turkey and as a regular writer for Civilnet, recently published his first novel, Unufak (Crumbled). Written in Turkish, “Crumbled” tells the story of how individuals from different generations of a Turkish-Armenian family are shattered by the traumas passed down from one generation to the next. The novel has garnered significant interest, and its first edition sold out within a month. Introducing the novel with the words, “‘Crumbled’ is not just the story of a family, but also of all human emotions…” İletişim Publishing is now releasing the second edition of the book. Koptas says he would be very happy to see his novel published in Armenian in Armenia.
The story of “Crumbled” begins in an unknown city called “T.” in historical Armenia, or today’s Anatolia and extends to Istanbul. Addressing the reflections of the political and social pressures experienced by the Armenian community in Turkey after the genocide on individuals’ inner worlds and family relationships, “Crumbled” brings some untouched themes in Turkish and Armenian literature into the literary realm. The characters struggle not only with their inner worlds but also face the harsh realities of their times. Each of them tries, in their own way, to leave behind the inherited pains of previous generations and escape the fate written on their foreheads. However, in doing so, they constantly encounter new obstacles and challenges to overcome.
In an article written for K24, one of Turkey’s prominent literary review platforms, novelist and critic Süreyyya Evren greeted the novel with the following words: “‘Crumbled’ is a legendary debut novel by Rober Koptas. First, it presents an incredible panorama of Armenian lives in Turkey, spanning generations, cities, neighborhoods, professions, lifestyles, and characters. It’s a gallery of portraits. Second, it offers a fresh and powerful take on a central literary question: ‘How should 1915 be written about?’ Lastly, it is a collection of many stories and thoughts on migrations from the countryside to Istanbul within the country and, more broadly, from Turkey to the West. It’s a ‘great family story’ woven together from the voices, perspectives, and narratives of many characters.”
Koptas’s novel, written with observations drawn from his background in journalism and publishing, addresses the societal pains that have persisted across generations in Turkey through the story of one family. Standing on the pillars of psychology, history, and politics, the novel promises a reading experience rarely encountered.
When asked about his thoughts on the novel, Koptas said that he wrote “Crumbled” primarily to understand the kinds of damage caused in the souls of a family’s members by the large and small catastrophes Armenians have experienced in Turkey. He explained that while writing, he was not concerned with major historical events themselves, but rather with how the shadows of those events reflected on people’s inner worlds. Koptas also shared that the novel focuses on issues such as fears and traumas passed down from generation to generation, the traditional family structure, male dominance, migration, displacement, and class differences among Armenians. He noted that Turkish is the language in which he can best express himself in writing, and that he chose to write the novel in that language so that Turkish readers could better understand Armenian states of mind. Although he does not feel competent enough to write a novel in Armenian, Koptas expressed that he would be extremely happy if the novel were translated into Armenian.
—
Who is Rober Koptas?
He was born in Istanbul in 1977. After attending Lusavorichyan, Karagozian, and Sourp Khach Tbrevank schools, he earned a bachelor’s degree Marmara University and a master’s degree from Boğaziçi University. From 2015 to 2023, he served as the editor-in-chief at Aras Publishing, where he had been working since his university years. He began writing opinion columns under the title “Life as It Is” in “Agos” newspaper in 2006, and after the assassination of Hrant Dink in 2007, he became an editor. Between 2010 and 2015, he was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper. He has edited numerous books and written articles, interviews, and essays in various publications including Civilnet. He lives in Istanbul, writes, and is currently working on his new novel.
The post Koptas’s novel Unufak (Crumbled) tells the story of an Armenian family appeared first on CIVILNET.