In the field of writing and publishing, the role of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports is the coordination and regulation of the sector. In developing and implementing the sector policy, the Ministry is guided by the conviction that the development of each sector is equally important, starting with the creative to the library and the reader. In accordance with this principle, literature and literary projects, and independent cultural figures that fall outside the scope of consuming or political preferences, also find their place in the literary field.

The role of councils under the Ministry is important in making consultative, professional opinion-based decisions and to avoid unilateral decisions in implementing the programs of writing and publishing. When forming the Councils, each member’s professional competency and correlation with both publishing houses and state bodies, are considered in order to create a fair and transparent environment.

In the field of writing and publishing the programs of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports are aimed at solving the following issues: equal development of all circles in the literary field; preservation, development, dissemination, and popularization of literary and cultural heritage through literary production, formation of civil society, creating conditions for the reproduction and development of the creative potential of society, creating favorable conditions for international cooperation in the field of publishing.

Within the framework of the Book Procurement Program the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports purchases and distributes the newly published valuable literature to the libraries. The Book Procurement Program of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports aims to meet the demands of library reading with modern and popular literature, and at the same time, encourage publication of professional, critical and anniversary literature.

Support for creators and researchers program was created to support cultural studies, literature, and literary criticism projects. It is complemented by the gap of state policy in the field of independent culture, moving the emphasis from the publishing-printing stage of literacy to the creative one. The long-term goal of the project is to stimulate the creation of prominent, enduring and welfare activities that will contribute to the development of literature and social science, as well as to the rise of civic consciousness.

The grant program will be on an annual event and each year projects of different literary genres will be funded.

The program “Armenian Literature in Translation” was launched in 2016. The program supports foreign publishing houses, that are interested in publishing Armenian classical or contemporary literature in a foreign language in their countries. The program seeks to make Armenian literature known to the world. The website “armlit.am” is operating for the program where the foreign publishers will find information on terms and conditions and the schedule of getting a grant.

The Press

Within the “Publication of Non-State Press” program, the allocations provide access to cover culture, cultural events, and public life of the community through printed and electronic media for national minorities in Armenia. By means of the program, these communities are able to preserve their national language, folklore, culture, traditions.

Supporting the literary, cultural printed and electronic periodicals enables to increase the number of copyright material, the number of artistic and critical articles, therefore, fostering the promotion of the diversity of the literary genre of the press.

International Exhibitions

With the support of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Armenia participates in international book fairs in a separate pavilion, including Minsk, Paris, Almaty, London, Tehran, Thessaloniki, Warsaw, New York, Moscow, Gothenburg, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Bologna, Leipzig, etc. Participation in such festivals fosters the introduction and dissemination of local literary products, as well as creates opportunities for collaboration.

One of the priorities of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports is to ensure equal competition in the Armenian publishing market, which is conditioned by fostering the development of trends in different layers of the sector. We do not overlook the issues of copyright and related rights, which are aimed at transferring author-publisher-reader cooperation exclusively to the legal field.

Meetings are regularly organized with publishers, agents, and writers, which will enable them to jointly discuss and propose solutions to the issues in the field.