Nega Mezlekia

Nega Mezlekia, born in 1958 in Jijiga, Ethiopia, is a distinguished novelist, writer, and civil engineer. The eldest son of a bureaucrat in the Imperial government, Nega initially supported the revolution that led to the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie. However, as he matured, he became increasingly critical of the regime established by Mengistu Haile Mariam. In his late teens, he made the bold decision to leave his family behind and join an armed rebel group, seeking to fight for change.

In 1983, Nega transitioned from his role at Haramaya University to pursue an engineering scholarship at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. After two years, he found himself unable to return to Ethiopia, prompting his move to Canada, where he has since resided. Despite his long absence, he has never returned to his homeland.

Nega's literary journey began with his memoir, Notes from the Hyena's Belly, published in two thousand. This poignant work, which recounts his life experiences, earned him the prestigious Governor General's Award for English language non-fiction in the same year. He followed this success with the novel The God Who Begat a Jackal, which delves into an ancient Ethiopian myth.

In two thousand six, he released his third book, The Unfortunate Marriage of Azeb Yitades, set between nineteen sixty and nineteen ninety. This narrative explores the struggles of a small village in eastern Ethiopia as it grapples with the challenges of modernity while striving to preserve its identity and heritage. The book was recognized as a finalist for the Best Book category in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in two thousand seven.