Chennai is my favourite city: Balian

CHENNAI: For an author of Armenian origin, based in the United States – it is quite surprising when John D Balian reveals that Chennai is his favourite city in India. He offers, "This is actually my fifth time in India. I work as a corporate executive now," says the doctor, for whom travel is part of the job. He goes on, "But the reason I look forward to coming here so often is because Chennai has such a strong connection to Armenian heritage. This is something that dates back thousands of years." Which is perhaps why the author even made it a point to track down a 17th century Armenian church in the city. Don't know where that is? On Armenian Street, near Parrys corner of course.Balian was in Chennai on Thursday for the launch of his bestseller, Gray Wolves and White Doves. So far, the novel has been distributed in the US alone, where it was released last year. For those unfamiliar with the title, it revolves around a largely 'autobiographical' tale of a young boy (Hanna) in a tiny village at the edge of the Turkish plains in Anatolia. "All the events in the book are factual," the author says and e­laborates, "Growing up in the ghettos, I faced adversity very early on." This is apparently reflected by the many twists in the book.After tragedy strikes in his family, five-year-old Hanna is forced to go into exile and later, is despatched to a seminary in Jerusalem with a new identity; caught in a crossfire of 'unholy' wars, only to escape years later as a fugitive on the run. "I always thought that my life would make for a thrilling and entertaining book. It took over eight years of writing," the author says. For Balian, it was meant to be a work of literature, not merely a novel.Also, he adds, "I wanted to leave a legacy for my three sons, something to remember me by and where we came from." But how much impact a story such as this one – with its backdrop of Middle eastern conflict and suppression – can find in India? Balian says, "Actually, I've had a lot of positive feedback from Indian readers in the US already." In fact, he recalls an email sent to him by an 80-year-old resident of Bengaluru. "This gentleman told me in his mail that he would meditate everyday," the author recounts. "And then he said that reading my book was like meditation for him!" Clearly, it was a good decision to market this book offering in India.Asked when the book will hit Turkish book stands, the author says, "I believe it will be a best seller there. But publication houses are not too liberal." He cites an example of a publisher jailed, simply for the use of the word, 'genocide'. As consolation, Balian adds that the book is slated to be translated into various languages - Armenian and then Turkish, Chinese and Arabic - to make it more accessible for a global public.