Berhanu Zerihun

Berhanu Zerihun (Amharic: ብርሃኑ ዘሪሁን; 1933-34 – 24 April 1987) was an Ethiopian writer in Amharic and journalist, noted for his clear and crisp writing style, which contrasted against the more complex writing style popular in his time.

Early life

Born in Gondar the son of an Orthodox Christian Priest, Zerihun Mersa, as a child Berhanu was not interested in sacred texts and devoted much of his spare time to reading new Ethiopian "secular" books. His first poem about a corrupt judge was published in the newspaper Yezareitu Ethiopia. Berhanu enrolled in the Addis Ababa Technical School, alongside his studies, he was an editor of a school magazine and regularly contributed to newspapers.

Berhanu was also a prolific writer. Among his first books were:

Hulet Yeemba Debdabewoch ("Two Letters of Tears" 1960) a collection of short stories dealing with Ethiopian political themes such as starvation. Del Kemot Behuala ("Victory after Death" 1963), which dealt with the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa. Yebedel Fetsamie ("The Fulfillment of Crime" 1965) on the subject of prostitution in Ethiopia. YeTewodros Enba ("Tewodros's Tears" 1966), a noted work of historical fiction about Emperor Tewodros II which was well received.

Berhanu was most famous for his revolutionary trilogy of novels, Maebel ("The Flood") (Vol. 1, 1974; Vol. 2, 1981; Vol. 3, 1982). It was a political work. The novels depicted the problems of Ethiopian society, the inequities of the old regime, and the prospects of socialist development. All three volumes of Maebel were subsequently read on the radio.