Khnko Aper


Atabek Khnkoyan was an Armenian writer of prose and poetry, who wrote under the pen name Khnko Aper and specialized in children's literature.

Biography

Khnkoyan was born in the village of Gharaboya in Lori region. He received his primary education in his birthplace and then in Alexandropol. Between 1890 and 1910 he taught in various Armenian schools in Transcaucasia. He contributed to the periodicals Ashkhatavor, Nor ashkhtavor, Aghbiur, Machkal, Hayastani ashkhatvaruhi, and Hasker, a monthly magazine for children.
Following the establishment of the Soviet regime, he settled in Armenia, where he resumed his career as a writer and educator. He wrote several textbooks to teach Armenian children their mother tongue, including Mer Dbrotse and Karmir arev.
Khnko Aper wrote mainly children's literature: fables, legends, and lyric and narrative poems. His original writings and translation make a total of 120 books. Giughatsin yev arje, Gogh makin, Pesatsu muke, Arakner, Tranvaye Yerevanum. Mknern inchpes grvestin katvi tem Kkozn agrave, Gayln u katun and Mkneri zhoghove, are among his best known works. Khnko Aper's use of various dialects and popular language are part of literary charm of his prose and poetry.
He died in Yerevan and was buried in the Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan.