Outside Ethiopia’s National Theatre in Addis Ababa with Bewketu and Ephrem .
Inside t
he stage is set for one of the most important events of my lifetime.
It is a similar Theatre to The Royal Festival Hall in London. High up in the centre you can see an empty stall. It is where The Emperor Haile Selassie sat. The audience pours in.The event is about to begin.
The reading starts with the podium and ends with a standing ovation. “Welcome Home Lemn” someone shouts.
The books sell out. One is signed to a man named Halleluljah.
We are beautiful people. The After show party thrown by The British Council is world class.
And a cake that says in words “Welcome Home Lemn”. The boy in the picture below asked if I’d sign a piece of paper as I wrote he whispered “I want to be an author.”
The woman on the left is Hannah Azieb Pool. She’s mine. I’m hers. And the woman on the right is the brilliant MC of the whole evening. I’ve more to say and show but that’s it for now.
Wow, inspiring stuff, from your arrival in Ethiopia to the reading…That’s three cakes, THREE! And the first picture on your website of you and the woman in your life, Now that IS momentous, what a great couple you make, Hannah is so beautiful. You’re very fortunate to have found one another, is that an understatement?
One question, why do you say the reading was one of the most important events of your lifetime? Is it because it drew together personal and international threads at a momentous time?
It is the first picture and I still may amend the text so it doesn’t read so clearly 😮 . I say “it is one of the most important readings of my lifetime” because I will not look back and say how important it was when I can say as much at the time. Every reading should be the reading of a lifetime!
P.S Another question! Which poems did you do? And what specifically were you reciting when you jumped in the air? That photo is great.
And…what’s going on in the photo with all the crowd gathered around and someone speaking?
Too much to answer 🙂
P.P.S I like your hair longer, tis gorgeous.
Beautiful indeed!!!! It’s very nice to see your stay at home. It’s as if i was there(poet’s magic). yThank you for taking my message to beloved motherland..
I have attended your show @ National Theater-it was amazing and for sure I was in paradise for a few hours,guided by the archangel…thank u.
I wish to hear your poems in Amharic,
is there any chance to hear and enjoy your Amharic poems in the near future?
Ethiopia is the land of poetry,with huge Gize and other languages written and oral literary capital.
Have you got a chance to enjoy them?