After several years away, I recently returned to Dire Dawa with my wife and daughter, joined by my wife’s colleague, her husband, and their two children. We travelled from Addis Ababa by air. We could have taken the train, but…
After leaving Ethiopia at the age of thirteen, a young girl arrives in Paris April 1978. The only child of an Ethiopian father and a French mother, she soon begins attending the Lycée Jules-Ferry near Place de Clichy in the…
Ethiopian poet Beweketu Seyoum has been unveiled as one of the headline guests of Barcelona Poesia 2026, set to take place from May 14 to 21, 2026, in Barcelona. Beweketu will take part in the festival’s closing ceremony on May…
Recently, I visited Union Cocktail Bar & Restaurant near Meskel Square—one of those places locals and expats often take visitors for a relaxed night out. The venue has a modern, rooftop-style setting with a carefully put-together look. Its vintage touches—reclaimed…
The case of Hana Wondimagne Hana Wondimagne, originally from Kobo town in the Semien Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, had lived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for several years. She sold traditional clothes online, mostly to Ethiopians living there, and…
In 2002, Birtukan Mideksa presided over the high-profile case of dissident former defence minister Siye Abraha, who was accused of corruption after falling out with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The trial drew close attention because of the stature of the…
When the Fascist troops of Benito Mussolini invaded Ethiopia and Emperor Haile Selassie was forced into exile in May 1936, what were the experiences of both young and adult people in the capital, Addis Ababa, and in other towns across the…
This is a small, modest, and unassuming book. On the cover, men and women sit beneath a great tree, listening to a storyteller. The title reads Ethiopian Folk Poetry Recreated — a quiet promise of voices from the past, retold…
In 1963, on the occasion of Haile Selassie’s birthday, Mahmoud Ahmed and the other members of the Kibur Zebegna (Imperial Bodyguard Band) traveled to Eritrea to perform, marking one of their most memorable tours. The visit took place at a…
The veteran actor and director Debebe Eshetu, whose remarkable career left an indelible mark on Ethiopian theatre and cinema, has died at the age of 83. His contributions to the arts, both on stage and behind the camera, inspired generations…