Rose Mestika
11 May 2008
Addis Ababa — Poet Mekdes Jemberu, founder of Ethiopian Women Writers Association, published a new her latest poem book entitled Muga on Monday after a decade-long absence from the publishing industry in the country.
Her new book is the first in a decade after she took part in a group volume with her female counterparts including the late Firmaye Alemu, by the name 'Egna', meaning 'we' ten years back.
"I have hundreds of poems but I could not be able to publish them all," Mekdes said on the launching ceremony at Hager Fikir Theatre.
She said the reason behind was financial constraints.
She said that it was too difficult to afford the cost needed to publish a book and make profit of it in a situation "where we do not see our book in the hands of readers".
Dr. Fekade Azeze, a poet and a scholar at the Addis Ababa University said on the ocassion that the poet came up with unique poems reflecting 'Kebelegna' variety of dialects.
"As a folk teacher, I have to admire her for the new kind of style she brought about" "I was thinking about her disappearance for a longer period of time and we were expecting to read her new book again", observed Zerihun Asfaw, another lecturer of literature at same university on the introductory part of the 114- page book which includes a collection of 49 poems.
Muga is the second book of Mekdes but she had contributed for Egna and Eita Amharic short story books. Her first book was 'Nibasil.' At present she is preparing to publish a new book on the coming year.
Muga is a name of a river.
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