Marta Haileyesus was born in 1986 in Addis Ababa. After getting her first degree in marketing she joined Addis Ababa University to do her second degree in Theatrical arts. Marta is very well known for her radio show Abronet at Bisrat FM and for her role in a radio drama.
Semiha has been writing poetry since the 7th grade, mostly as an alternative to a diary. She has also started writing short stories, and hopes to write a full set someday-but mostly reverts to poetry as her native tongue.
Mihret Kebede was born in Dessie, Ethiopia and graduated from AAU School of Fine Arts and Design in painting with distinction, 2007. She then took a one-year photography course with Desta for Africa (DFA). She received a certificate award of recognition as the best practicing female artist in 2013 from Ministry of culture and tourism, Ethiopia.
Mihret is the founding director of Netsa Art Village, Artists collective, manager of Ethio Color band and founder and manager of the popular Tobiya Poetic Jazz monthly event.
Nebila Abdulmelik is a pan-Africanist and feminist who is passionate about social justice. Birthed in Addis, she has since criss-crossed the earth and found herself back in the city that birthed her. She uses the creative arts, particularly photography and poetry to speak her peace. Connect with her here @aliben86 and http://aliben86.wordpress.com
I love life; life loves me because it has blessed me with a gift: Poetry, my doorway to the secrets of the Universe. I never claim to express undeniable truth but my own, one I wish to share with the world. Words have power, my mission is to use these words to paint the life I wish to live as well as the world I wish to live in … and poetry is my paint brush! My vision is simple, through the words I express I want to bring change! Thank you for joining me on this journey!
Liyou Libsekal is an Ethiopian poet living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She grew up traveling and living mainly in East Africa. Liyou’s chapbook, Bearing Heavy Things is part of the 2015 African Poetry Book Fund’s New Generation African Poets series.
Zelalem was born in Ethiopia, in the town Dessie in 1987. He began writing poetry and stories when he was 12.
Zelalem has a BA degree in business management and a master’s degree in finance.
His hobby is reading, writing and playing chess. He was a gold medalist in chess championship at university’s sport festival in 2008 and 2009.
In his professional life Zelalem has been working in the areas of communication, marketing and promotion.
Zelalem published two Amharic poetry books with other collogue writers.
Currently Zelalem is a communication manager and part time writer for different blogs and magazines.
Born in 1989 and raised in Addis Ababa Rediet Terefe earned her bachelor in Plant Science and then pursued her interest in bachelor theatrical art degree from Addis Ababa University. Ever since 2009 Rediet was actively participating and presenting her poems at different cultural, poetic and book inaugural events. In 2015 Rediet published her first book along with 4 other poets titled Meskel Adebabay.
MINTESINOT MAMMO WAS BORN IN A SMALL YET BEAUTIFUL TOWN DEBRE IN ETHIOPIA. HE ATTENDED DILLA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, AND STUDIED BUILDING CONSTRACTION, PHYSICS, ACCOUNTING & FINANCE. HE IS CURRENTLY WORKING AS ADMINSTRATION AND FINANCE HEAD IN ONE OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS AT ADDIS.
Michael Minase was born in 1988 Addis Ababa after pursuing his higher education diploma in Information Technology. During his high school days Michael was active member of student art clubs and this helped him to start his theatrical study while presenting his poems at different events.
Elsa Mugeta was born on the 15th of April in 1990 in a city called Debre Birhan, Ethiopia. Elsa started writing poetry to help better navigate through and adapt to a new environment when she had to study at Gondar University.
For Elsa poetry is a shadow of emotion, with poetry she can better reflect her joys as well as her sorrows.
Demeke Kebede,aka, Felanemunemunim, a young Poet and Journalist, was born in 1985 at Gojjam – Motta Keraniyo, Ethiopia.
He graduated at the Bahir Dar University in Journalism and Communication with distinction. He is currently completing his Masters Degree at Addis Ababa University Graduate School of Journalism and Communication.
Demeke, as a journalist, has worked in various national and international media from Junior to Editor-In-Chief level and correspondent too. He has received numerous certificates for his performances and achievements in Journalism.
He has written lots of poems and literary works. He loves writing novels especially poems and features. Demeke published his very first collection of poem, YERAS TILLA, which means Self Shadow, when he was a university student. His second poetry collection, Annd Kinf – Mono Wing, was published in 2011. And, now, he is currently compiling another collection for publication.
He is a Deputy Manager of National Eye Bank of Ethiopia. He is also an active social media writer.
Fikir Kiflu Adane is a 30-year-old Ethiopian professional with multiple college degrees.
After more than 10 years of being a devoted writer, in 2011 he finally felt confident enough to start submitting his poetry for publication. Since then, he’s had about 23 poems published in print and online journals.
Fikur is a passionate poet who works very hard at honing his craft.
Kibrom Habtu is a poet based in Mekelle Ethiopia.
Billene “Bilu” Seyoum – avid word lover and travel enthusiast has been splashing words to paper since the age of twelve capturing her experiences of faces, places and spaces. Her poetry aims to take listeners and readers on a journey of re-imagining different imaginings of everyday existence. Having lived in five countries and traveled wide, Bilu’s poetry embraces her global identity.
LEMN SISSAY MBE is associate artist at Southbank Centre, patron of The Letterbox Club and The Reader Organisation, ambassador for The Children’s Reading Fund, trustee of Forward Arts Foundation and inaugural trustee of World Book Night and an honorary doctor of Letters. He has been a writer from birth and foremost he is a poet.
Lemn is author of a series of books of poetry alongside articles, records, broadcasts, public art, commissions and plays. Sissay was the first poet commissioned to write for London Olympics. His Landmark Poems are installed throughout Manchester and London. They can be seen in The Royal Festival Hall and The Olympic Park. His Landmark Poem,Guilt of Cain, was unveiled by Bishop Desmond Tutu in Fen Court near Fenchurch St Station.
Sissay’s installation poem what if was exhibited at The Royal Academy alongside Tracey Emin and Antony Gormley. It came from his Disko Bay Expedition to the Arctic alongside Jarvis Cocker, Laurie Anderson, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Leslie Feist and KT Tunstall. His 21st century poem was released on multi-million award winning album Leftism by Leftfield. A violin concerto performed at The BBC by Viktoria Mullova was inspired by Lemn Sissay’s poem Advice For The Living.
Sissay’s award winning play Something Dark directed by National Theatre of Wales artistic director John McGrath has been performed throughout the world and his stage adaptation of Benjamin Zephaniah’s Novel Refugee Boy at West Yorkshire Playhouse tours Britain in 2014. A BBC TV documentary, Internal Flight , and a radio documentary, Child of the State, were both broadcast about his life and his Ted Talk has close to a million views. His documentary on the late Gil Scott Heron was the first pubic announcement of Scott-Heron’s comeback album.
Sissay describes dawn in one tweet every day. His Morning Tweets. One Morning Tweet became an award winning building MVMNT Café commissioned by Cathedral group designed and built by Supergroup’s Morag Myerscough. It is the only building in the world built below a tweet. Cathedral also commissioned a Landmark Poem, Shipping Good, which will be laid into the streets of Greenwich.
He was the first Black Writers Development Worker in the North of England. He created and established Cultureword (part of Commonword) where Sissay developed supported and published many new writers who’ve gone on to a life of creativity. Sissay received an MBE from The Queen for services to literature and an honorary doctorate from University of Huddersfield who run The Sissay Scholarship for care leavers: It is the first of its kind in the UK.
The Guardian newspaper heralded the arrival of his first book Tender Fingers In A Clenched Fist. “Lemn Sissay has Success written all over his forehead”. He was 21. Between the ages of 18 and 32 he tracked his family down across the world. His career as a writer happened in spite of his incredible life story not because of it.
He has made various BBC radio documentaries on or with writers such as Gil Scott Heron, The last Poets, JB Priestley, Edgar Allan Poe and poetry films broadcast to the nation. His head is in London where he’s based, his heart is in Manchester where he is not, his soul is in Addis and his vibe is in New York where his mother lives. He blogs openly for personal reasons. Google Lemn Sissay and all the hits would be about him. There is only one Lemn Sissay in the world.
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