The Divine Pen: An Interview with Arman Isayan, author of Adonai

Arman Isayan is a teacher, writer, and linguist. Introduced to literature at an early age by his beloved mother, he started to write short stories and poems at ten years old. As a teenager, Arman was passionate about the great Russian authors, such as Dostoyevsky and Nabokov. Eventually, though, it was the Bible that shaped both his literary style and philosophical mind. Thus, in his early thirties, Arman decided to publish his very first novel called Adonai, which combines his poetical creativity with his theological insight. Arman lives in Madrid with his wife and two kids, Victoria and Lazarus.

You can buy the book here.
Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

One might think that the title of a book is the easiest part to come up with. Not at all! At least not for me. One tries to summarise, in a way, the core of the story in just one or two words, and it took me a long time to think of a title that I really liked. It goes without saying that I had to change the title more than once!

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

To be honest, I was absolutely gobsmacked when I saw the cover. It was ten times better and more spectacular than I could have ever imagined. It captures the essence of the book. It’s elegant, deep, and meaningful.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I’ve always wanted to write, ever since I was a little kid. My mom liked to read, and she introduced me to the classics: Dumas, Dostoyevsky, Pushkin, Jack London. Later on, in my teenage years, I was absolutely enchanted by Vladimir Nabokov. However, and I’m sure it happened to many authors, I had a difficult time finding my own voice. Everything I wrote was an imitation of the great authors until, just a few years ago, after diving into the Bible narratives, I found a treasure way beyond any other classical author, including Shakespeare and Cervantes. The Bible shaped me in every way. From a literary point of view, it has everything: romance, drama, science fiction, poetry, letters, history, and biography. It’s concise and at the same time incredibly complex. Honestly, I think regardless of one’s spiritual state or convictions, if one aims at writing and likes literature in general, it is absolutely compulsory to read the Bible.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I like soundtracks and I would definitely hire Hans Zimmer! I’d ask him to compose something epic, like he did for the Gladiator movie. The soundtrack of the Passion of the Christ movie is also nice and suitable for my book.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Working with Atmosphere Press was absolutely amazing! If I had to define my experience with them with only one word, it would be simplicity. They make everything easy for you. Especially if you’re a young author who has no idea about how the whole publishing process works, Atmosphere Press is ideal. They go step by step with you, clarifying every little doubt you might have, always available and at your disposal. It was a pleasure working with them from the very start.

You can buy the book here.
Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.