PRESS RELEASE: Sharing Eritrean literature with the world
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Huriy Ghirmai
AZAB Publishers
0044 7903 160 487
info@azabpublishers.com
www.beyanhaile.com
www.azabpublishers.com
MEZGHEBE: WOULD YOU SAY HE WAS MAD?
An English Translation of Beyene Haile’s Novel, Abidu Do Tibluso.
LONDON, U.K., MARCH 29, 2013 - Beyene Haile’s first novel, Abidu Do Tibluwo, which was written when the author was 18, has now been translated into English and published by AZAB Publishers – London.
Set in Eritrea and Ethiopia, this book tells the story of a gifted and committed artist, his trials and tribulations and his eternal quest to create absolute perfection through his art. Mezghebe’s uncompromising dedication to his art takes him to the darkest recesses of his mind leading to catastrophic consequences. As a child and then, a young man, he is largely misunderstood to a point where those around him think he is in fact insane. The story is narrated in a unique style where different voices take turns to tell the tale of a remarkable and tragic life of an artist in search of life’s hidden truths and charms.
Beyene Haile, arguably the most influential Eritrean writer, wrote Abidu Do Tibluwo in 1958 and the book was later published in 1962. At the time of publication, it was heralded as the first modern Tigrinya novel and has a significant impact in Eritrean literature. In many ways, the translation of the book into English is well overdue in as much as it is of paramount importance that the book is made accessible to a larger audience.
MEZGHEBE: WOULD YOU SAY HE WAS MAD? can be purchased at www.beyanhaile.com
***
About the Author
Beyene Haile Kassa was born in Asmara in 1941 and wrote his first book, Abidu Do Tibluwo, (Mezghebe: Would You Say He was Mad?) at the age of 18. The book was later published when he turned 23 and marked the beginning of a literature tradition which would make him well known in later years.
A year after he had finished his first novel, Beyene won a scholarship to study at the American University in Beirut and graduated with a double major in Political Science and Public Administration. On his return home after graduation, he first worked as Director of Personnel at the Eritrean Public Health Service based in Asmara. Later, he worked as Director of St Peter’s Hospital in Addis Ababa, as Organisational Researcher at the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and later, as Principal Training Consultant at the Ethiopian Management Institute (EMI).
In the immediate aftermath of Eritrea’s independence, Beyene returned to his country and set about implementing many projects related to training and organisational excellence. When he first returned to Eritrea, he conducted a series of researches of various Eritrean organisations and developed training programs on organisational excellence and leadership. Later, this culminated in the establishment of Ercoe, which eventually became the Institute of Organisational Excellence (IOE) with Beyene Haile serving as its director.
While still actively involved in training and education, Beyene continued to tend to his art. As well as writing various essays and articles, he completed his second book – Deqwan Teberh – in 2003 which was published to high acclaim. He followed that with a three-act play titled Heart to Heart which was staged in Asmara, again to high critical acclaim. In 2006, he published his third book – Titsbit Bahgu.
Beyene continued to write, paint and educate up until his death on June 29, 2012.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Huriy Ghirmai
AZAB Publishers
0044 7903 160 487
info@azabpublishers.com
www.beyanhaile.com
www.azabpublishers.com
MEZGHEBE: WOULD YOU SAY HE WAS MAD?
An English Translation of Beyene Haile’s Novel, Abidu Do Tibluso.
LONDON, U.K., MARCH 29, 2013 - Beyene Haile’s first novel, Abidu Do Tibluwo, which was written when the author was 18, has now been translated into English and published by AZAB Publishers – London.
Set in Eritrea and Ethiopia, this book tells the story of a gifted and committed artist, his trials and tribulations and his eternal quest to create absolute perfection through his art. Mezghebe’s uncompromising dedication to his art takes him to the darkest recesses of his mind leading to catastrophic consequences. As a child and then, a young man, he is largely misunderstood to a point where those around him think he is in fact insane. The story is narrated in a unique style where different voices take turns to tell the tale of a remarkable and tragic life of an artist in search of life’s hidden truths and charms.
Beyene Haile, arguably the most influential Eritrean writer, wrote Abidu Do Tibluwo in 1958 and the book was later published in 1962. At the time of publication, it was heralded as the first modern Tigrinya novel and has a significant impact in Eritrean literature. In many ways, the translation of the book into English is well overdue in as much as it is of paramount importance that the book is made accessible to a larger audience.
MEZGHEBE: WOULD YOU SAY HE WAS MAD? can be purchased at www.beyanhaile.com
***
About the Author
Beyene Haile Kassa was born in Asmara in 1941 and wrote his first book, Abidu Do Tibluwo, (Mezghebe: Would You Say He was Mad?) at the age of 18. The book was later published when he turned 23 and marked the beginning of a literature tradition which would make him well known in later years.
A year after he had finished his first novel, Beyene won a scholarship to study at the American University in Beirut and graduated with a double major in Political Science and Public Administration. On his return home after graduation, he first worked as Director of Personnel at the Eritrean Public Health Service based in Asmara. Later, he worked as Director of St Peter’s Hospital in Addis Ababa, as Organisational Researcher at the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and later, as Principal Training Consultant at the Ethiopian Management Institute (EMI).
In the immediate aftermath of Eritrea’s independence, Beyene returned to his country and set about implementing many projects related to training and organisational excellence. When he first returned to Eritrea, he conducted a series of researches of various Eritrean organisations and developed training programs on organisational excellence and leadership. Later, this culminated in the establishment of Ercoe, which eventually became the Institute of Organisational Excellence (IOE) with Beyene Haile serving as its director.
While still actively involved in training and education, Beyene continued to tend to his art. As well as writing various essays and articles, he completed his second book – Deqwan Teberh – in 2003 which was published to high acclaim. He followed that with a three-act play titled Heart to Heart which was staged in Asmara, again to high critical acclaim. In 2006, he published his third book – Titsbit Bahgu.
Beyene continued to write, paint and educate up until his death on June 29, 2012.