Armenian Poet Diana Arterian Publishes Award-Winning Collection

Diana Arterian, an Armenian-American poet based in Los Angeles, has published "Agrippina the Younger," a collection that won the Poetry Society of America's William Carlos Williams Award and was named a best poetry collection of 2025 by Electric Literature and Ms. Magazine.

The book uses lyric verse and prose poems to examine the life of Roman Empress Agrippina through a contemporary feminist lens, exploring themes of patriarchy, power, and how history erases women's narratives. Arterian traces Agrippina's rise through political intrigue, drawing parallels between ancient and modern systems of male dominance.

Arterian holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing from USC and serves as Poetry Editor at Noemi Press. She is the 2026 Lurie Distinguished Visiting Professor at San José State University and writes a column for Lit Hub. The International Armenian Literary Alliance is promoting the book through its Bookshop.org storefront.