ThoughtGallery.org > P&P Live!: Maaza Mengiste – Addis Ababa Noir — In Conversation with Linda Yohannes

P&P Live!: Maaza Mengiste – Addis Ababa Noir — In Conversation with Linda Yohannes

The stories in Addis Ababa Noir are not gentle stories. They cross into forbidden territories and traverse the damaged terrain of the human heart. The characters in these pages are complicated, worthy of our judgment as much as they somehow manage to elude it. The writers have each discovered their own ways to get us to lean in while forcing us to grit our teeth as we draw closer…

Despite the varied and distinct voices in these pages, no single book can contain all of the wonderful, intriguing, vexing complexities of Addis Ababa. But what you will read are stories by some of Ethiopia’s most talented writers living in the country and abroad. Each of them considers the many ways that myth and truth and a country’s dark edges come together to create something wholly original–and unsettling.

Mengiste will be in conversation with Linda Yohannes, an Ethiopian writer from Addis Ababa whose story “Kebele ID” appears in Addis Ababa Noir. Her work has appeared in Prufrock magazine, Jalada Africa, Brittle Paper, BBC Radio 4, Ethiopia Insight, and is forthcoming in Transition magazine. 

Another panelist will be Adam Reta, a short story writer and novelist. He published his debut collection of short stories in the mideighties and then his second short story collection, Mahlet. Since then he has authored five short story collections and four novels.

Instead of a set ticket price, we ask that you contribute what you can to support Politics and Prose Bookstore and our virtual event series. We know that everyone has been affected in these trying times, and we will continue to make our programming accessible to all. That said, a suggested contribution of $5, $10, whatever you can afford, will go a long way to keep our programming—and our bookstore—afloat as we are forced to adapt to new ways of business. 

The other way you can support us is always by purchasing a book from our website.

We are so grateful to be surrounded by such a loyal and engaged community and we thank you for your support, now and always.











When: Fri., Aug. 14, 2020 at 6:00 pm

The stories in Addis Ababa Noir are not gentle stories. They cross into forbidden territories and traverse the damaged terrain of the human heart. The characters in these pages are complicated, worthy of our judgment as much as they somehow manage to elude it. The writers have each discovered their own ways to get us to lean in while forcing us to grit our teeth as we draw closer…

Despite the varied and distinct voices in these pages, no single book can contain all of the wonderful, intriguing, vexing complexities of Addis Ababa. But what you will read are stories by some of Ethiopia’s most talented writers living in the country and abroad. Each of them considers the many ways that myth and truth and a country’s dark edges come together to create something wholly original–and unsettling.

Mengiste will be in conversation with Linda Yohannes, an Ethiopian writer from Addis Ababa whose story “Kebele ID” appears in Addis Ababa Noir. Her work has appeared in Prufrock magazine, Jalada Africa, Brittle Paper, BBC Radio 4, Ethiopia Insight, and is forthcoming in Transition magazine. 

Another panelist will be Adam Reta, a short story writer and novelist. He published his debut collection of short stories in the mideighties and then his second short story collection, Mahlet. Since then he has authored five short story collections and four novels.

Instead of a set ticket price, we ask that you contribute what you can to support Politics and Prose Bookstore and our virtual event series. We know that everyone has been affected in these trying times, and we will continue to make our programming accessible to all. That said, a suggested contribution of $5, $10, whatever you can afford, will go a long way to keep our programming—and our bookstore—afloat as we are forced to adapt to new ways of business. 

The other way you can support us is always by purchasing a book from our website.

We are so grateful to be surrounded by such a loyal and engaged community and we thank you for your support, now and always.

Buy tickets/get more info now