Ethiopian Literature

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of Ethiopian Literature. It is only meant to be a list of Ethiopian Literature that I have in my possession. Please inform me if any links are not working.

Meti Birabiro

Blue Daughter of the Red Sea (Memoir)

Fantu Cheru

African Renaissance (African Studies)

Wanted: fresh ideas for combating African poverty (Article available online)

Economic Reconstruction and the Peasants in Ethiopia (Essay available online)

Video Interview available online

Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin

Collision of Alters (Play)

Literature and the African Public (Essay available online)

Several of Gabre-Medhin’s Poems available online

An Ethiopian Hero: Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin (1936-2006) by Richard Pankhurst (article available online)

Tsegae Gabre-Medhin: A Short Walk Through His Literary Park by Professor Negussay Ayele (article available online)

Obituary from The New York Times available online

Obituary from The Guardian available online

Website dedicated to the life and works of Gabre-Medhin

Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin Memorial Prize

Abbas Haji Gnamo

Islam, the orthodox Church and Oromo nationalism (Essay available online)

Pouvoir de bénir et de maudire : cosmologie et organisation sociale des Oromo-Arsi (Essay available online)

L’Ethiopie va-t-elle éclater ? Conflits politiques, économie et société en pays arssi (1900-1935) (Essay available online)

Jeylan Wolyie Hussein

A critical review of the political and stereotypical portrayals of the Oromo in the Ethiopian historiography (Essay available online)

Sisai Ibssa

The Invention of Ethiopia: The Making of a Dependent Colonial State (History, written with Bonnie K. Holcomb)

Obituary in The Washington Post available online

Obituary by the Oromiyaa Liberation Council

Profile available online

Mengistu Lemma

Longing (Poem available online)

Dinaw Mengestu

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears (Novel) Excerpt from the novel available online

The Past Remains with Us (Article written about the election of Barack Obama available online)

Interview available online (2009)

Maaza Mengiste

Beneath the Lion’s Gaze (Novel)

Interview (2010) available online

Interview (2010) with Bombsite available online

Interview (2010) in Tadias Magazine

Maaza Mengiste’s Website

Nega Mezlekia

The God who Begat a Jackal (Novel)

The Unfortunate Marriage of Azeb Yitades (Novel)

Notes from the Hyena’s Belly (Memoir)

Nega Mezlekia’s Website

Bereket Habte Selassie

Riding the Whirlwind (Novel)

The Crown and The Pen: The Memoirs of a Lawyer Turned Rebel (Memoir)

On the Horn of a Dilemma: Challenges to Euro-American Policies Towards Africa, with a focus on the Horn of Africa (Speech available online)

Interview (2001) available online

Interview (2009) available online

Interview (2009) by Issa Shivji available online

Haile Sellassie

My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress: The Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie I Volume 1 and 2 (Memoirs)Excerpt available online

Appeal to The League of Nations June 1936 (Speech available online)

The Emperor Haile Selassie I in Bath 1936 – 1940 by Lutz Haber (article available online)

Obituary from The New York Times available online

Dread History: The African Diaspora, Ethiopianism, and Rastafari Smithsonian Website

The Emperor: Downfall of an Autocrat by R. Kapuściński (History)

Sahle Sellassie

Warrior King (Novel)

The Afersata (Novel) The Woyingi Blogger’s Review

Hama Tuma

The Case of the Criminal Walk and Other Stories (Short Stories)

Reading Hama Tuma in Hebrew (article about the Hebrew translation of Hama Tuma’s work)

Hama Tuma’s Website and Blog

Daniachew Worku

The Thirteenth Sun (Novel)

Mammite (Short Story available online)

The Voice (Short Story available online)

God-Damn-Shot-Gun-Boogie (Short Story available online)

Interview (1974) available online

Website dedicated to the life and works of Daniachew Worku (in English and Amharic)

Abebe Zegeye

Narrative Discourse, Social Crisis and the Construction of the Beta Israel Identity (Essay available online)

The Beta Israel: The Last Hundred Years (Article available online)

Knowledge Production and Publishing in Africa (Article available online)

Human Stability and Conflict in the Horn of Africa (Article, written with J. Maxted available online)

Audio Interview (2009) available online

Bahru Zewde

A History of Modern Ethiopia 1855 to 1991 (History)

Pioneers of Change in Ethiopia: The Reformist Intellectuals of the Early Twentieth Century (History)

L’Ethiopie célèbre son (double) millénaire (article from Monde diplomatique available in French online)

A Response to Professor Bahru Zewde ( article criticizing Zewde’s perspectives on the Eritrean Revolution)

Article available online entitled “Leading Ethiopian Historian Revisits Student Movement” from UCLA Institute about a lecture by Zewde

8 Responses

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Belachew W/Gebriel said, on December 10, 2010 at 11:04 am

I am highly grateful of you for posting some short stories and poems. I couldn’t have found example poems and short stories for the course Ethiopian Literature in English I am teaching students in Jimma University. The books and anthologies are hard to find on the market. Please try to post more poems and short stories of national concern on this Blog. Thank you for all your contributions.

Reply
dula sanbato said, on March 23, 2011 at 8:00 pm

would you share your experience on ethiopian english novel writers? the teache gaves us an home work on this point.excuse me would you send to my email (dulasanbato@yahoo.com)

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tadelegadissa said, on March 25, 2011 at 12:08 am

First of all I woud like to appericiate you for your assistance . Iam student from wollega university.Please could you send me theme of Ethiopian English literature?

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Hana said, on July 20, 2011 at 11:00 pm

I want to inform you about a book out this month. I feel readers that are interested in your site will want to know about it.
The book is:

“Through These Veins” – by Anne Marie Ruff it’s a novel of science, love, and intrigue

Description
In the coffee-growing highlands of Ethiopia, an Italian scientist on a plant collecting expedition discovers a local medicine man dispensing an apparent cure for AIDS. As the medicine man’s teenage daughter reveals the plants behind the cure, their lives become irrevocably intertwined. Through These Veins weaves together the dramatically different worlds of traditional healing, U.S. government funded AIDS research, and the pharmaceutical industry in an intensely personal, fast-paced tale of scientific intrigue with both devastating and hopeful effect.

Biography
Anne Marie Ruff has reported on AIDS research, drug development, biodiversity conservation, and agriculture from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. Her work has been broadcast by National Public Radio, Public Radio International, the British Broadcasting Corporation, and PBS TV. Her articles have appeared in Time, Christian Science Monitor, and Saveur among other publications. A Minnesota native, Ms. Ruff lives in downtown Los Angeles with her Indian-born husband and their two sons. Through These Veins is her first novel.

Thank you.

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Mele said, on December 20, 2012 at 12:56 pm

really, I would like to appreciate you for posting this important materials. I hope we Ethiopians will start to appreciate English works by Ethiopians. Keep in touch.

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rach106 said, on March 23, 2013 at 1:16 pm

wow, thank for exhibiting Ethiopian writers i appreciate very much, it is ray we comes across Ethiopian writes profile.

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3 libros y + sobre/basados en/de Etiopía | Ese caleidoscopio gigantesco said, on April 23, 2013 at 3:15 am

[…] Literatura etíope: woyingi.wordpress.com […]

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sfqu said, on September 15, 2013 at 9:07 am

Hello,
First, your blog is an incredible good work, congratulations¡
I am collected Ethiopian Literature in my blog and I look that in your blog doesn´t appear Abraham Verghese, I would like to know your opinion about this writer.
Thanks.

Reply

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