Living in a rudimentarily furnished home in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, sixtysomething Sami has spent nearly two decades translating Greek mythology into Amharic. Slight in frame, the reticent figure only lights up when he speaks of his colossal project, which has grown into an all-consuming obsession. The book has overwhelmed all other aspects of his life, leaving friends, relatives and Sami’s own wellbeing in the rearview mirror. At the same time, at the launch for his long-awaited book, Sami is strangely at a loss for words, as he refuses to give a speech about his efforts. Perhaps, his ambivalence about his achievement stems from what he considers to be a wasted youth, spent in the shadow of Mengistu Haile Mariam’s regime.

Source: Ethiopian News March 11, 2024 11:53 UTC