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The Lost Spell
Didimos Dore has turned himself into a dog. Unable to remember the spell to turn him back, he must journey home to Addis Ababa; to a wife and children who suspect nothing of his dabbling in the occult.
The proud, respectable businessman tries to keep himself at the centre of his world, despite his sudden lowly status. As he scampers fearfully through bustling towns and awe inspiring landscapes, he sees Ethiopian history and politics from a new perspective. With a mixture of self-importance and compassion, Dore sees his literal dehumanisation echoed in the state of the nation around him. Yet through a series of hapless, sometimes funny schemes, he must seek out human kindness to survive.
Yismake Worku is an innovative, bestselling Ethiopian novelist. He was acclaimed for his courageous and keen observation of the 2012 political scene in the Amharic original. The Lost Spell weaves the legends of Ethiopia into a contemporary cautionary tale about the transformative power of words.
Bethlehem Attfield is an Amharic-English literary translator, born in Addis Ababa. She specialises in translating contemporary Ethiopian fiction. She founded the Ethiopian Translators Network and hosts the YouTube podcast Journey To Ethiopia with Story. She is currently undertaking a practice-based PhD at Birmingham University.
The proud, respectable businessman tries to keep himself at the centre of his world, despite his sudden lowly status. As he scampers fearfully through bustling towns and awe inspiring landscapes, he sees Ethiopian history and politics from a new perspective. With a mixture of self-importance and compassion, Dore sees his literal dehumanisation echoed in the state of the nation around him. Yet through a series of hapless, sometimes funny schemes, he must seek out human kindness to survive.
Yismake Worku is an innovative, bestselling Ethiopian novelist. He was acclaimed for his courageous and keen observation of the 2012 political scene in the Amharic original. The Lost Spell weaves the legends of Ethiopia into a contemporary cautionary tale about the transformative power of words.
Bethlehem Attfield is an Amharic-English literary translator, born in Addis Ababa. She specialises in translating contemporary Ethiopian fiction. She founded the Ethiopian Translators Network and hosts the YouTube podcast Journey To Ethiopia with Story. She is currently undertaking a practice-based PhD at Birmingham University.
158 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2022
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March 4, 2023
The Lost Spell took me back to a time when stories about shapeshifters were told to children as if they truly existed, a bit like telling children’s stories about giants, perhaps more terrifying. The difference that Yismake Worku’s story brings across is clearly that it is written for adults. The spell is entertaining, disappears from centre stage as the the protagonist’s predicament takes over in a clear, light-to-read, easy-flowing English language translation by Bethlehem Attfield. The black dog could serve as a metaphor for deep-rooted depression and the dog’s determination to transform back to his original human form tells a story of the way of the will in overcoming difficulty. What better way to describe life’s challenges than through the unknown and what a delight to come across this wonderful English translation. A perfect distraction.
Displaying 1 of 1 review