William Saroyan Foundation
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William Saroyan Foundation is a private nonprofit organization established in 1966 by Pulitzer Prize– and Academy Award–winning Armenian-American writer William Saroyan. Headquartered in San Francisco, the Foundation preserves and promotes Saroyan’s literary and artistic legacy and supports emerging writers and cultural initiatives in the United States and Armenia.[1]
History
William Saroyan was one of the United States' most successful mid-20th century writers. The Foundation was founded by William Saroyan on December 30, 1966, with his siblings Henry and Cosette Saroyan as co-signers of the Articles of Incorporation. One of the first acts of the Foundation was to accept a deed of trust from Saroyan, including the manuscript of The Time of Your Life and sixteen short stories, to be made publicly available for literary and educational purposes.[2]
After Saroyan's death in 1981, he bequeathed his entire literary estate to the Foundation. His longtime friend and executor Robert Setrakian assumed leadership and oversaw the organization of Saroyan’s archive, collecting materials from various cities including Paris, San Francisco, and Fresno.[3] Over the next 15 years, the Foundation granted rights for hundreds of publications and adaptations of Saroyan’s work for stage, screen, and broadcast.
Partnership with Stanford University
In 1996, the Foundation transferred Saroyan’s complete literary archive to Stanford University Libraries, where it is housed in the Department of Special Collections at the Cecil H. Green Library. The collection, cataloged as M0870, includes Saroyan’s published and unpublished writings, diaries, letters, and manuscripts.[4]
Programs
William Saroyan International Prize for Writing
Since 2003, the Foundation has partnered with Stanford University Libraries to sponsor the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, a biennial award recognizing newly published works of fiction and nonfiction. The prize encourages emerging authors and awards $5,000 in each category.[5]
SaroyanDays
The Foundation is organizing SaroyanDays, a major celebration of Saroyan’s life and work, scheduled to take place in Yerevan, Armenia, in 2025. The event will include exhibitions, performances, panel discussions, and public programs. It will also feature the release of a book of previously unpublished short stories by Saroyan, and an art exhibition of 90 of Saroyan’s paintings—most of which have never before been shown publicly—at one of Yerevan’s leading galleries.[1]
Visual Art
In addition to his literary work, Saroyan was a prolific visual artist, producing hundreds of drawings and watercolors over the course of his life. The Foundation manages and exhibits this body of work as part of its cultural preservation mission.[6]
Leadership
The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees. As of 2025, its leadership includes:
- Haig Mardikian, Chairman
- Scott Setrakian, President[1]
Legacy
William Saroyan’s work received numerous honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, an Academy Award for Best Story, and a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award. Through its archival, literary, and cultural initiatives, the Foundation continues to support his vision of artistic independence and humanistic storytelling.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "About the Foundation". William Saroyan Foundation.
- ↑ "History". William Saroyan Foundation.
- ↑ "Team". William Saroyan Foundation.
- ↑ "Guide to the William Saroyan Papers M0870". Online Archive of California.
- ↑ "William Saroyan International Prize for Writing". Stanford University Libraries.
- ↑ "Saroyan's Art". William Saroyan Foundation.
External links
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