In this profound, groundbreaking narrative, Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes weaves together stories of heritage and heartache. His unique memoir celebrates the beauty of Ethiopian culture while mourning its erosion – first under colonial forces, and later through internal conflict. Framing his work via the Ethiopian belief in the four elemental stages of human experience – water, fire, soil and wind – this is an essential exploration of the human condition, connecting readers to a nation of people whose sagacity and spirit have endured through generations.
Hear Yirga read below.
More Poetry
Poems from the deep
Writer and academic Prema Arasu joins the podcast to talk about their debut poetry collection, Vampire Squid. The collection, written during Prema’s post-doc fellowship at the UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, explores how we imagine the deep sea – a place we often perceive as eerie and unknowable.
Poetry, chronic illness, and wetlands
Part memoir, part poetry, Eungedup explores Giles’ journey to understand his chronic illness as Eungedup awaits the coming of rain. Giles dives deeper into the writing process and the wildlife that drew him to Eungedup, shares why poets should record the natural world, and reads poems from the book.
Coming soon
Luisa Mitchell’s upcoming poetry collection opens conversations about connection to Country, the resilience of culture, and the complex articulation of identity as a First Nations descendant. Out 2 June.
