It has been a labor of love, and it has taken far longer than anyone would have liked. Nonetheless, “Lions Roaring Far From Home: An Anthology By Ethiopian Adoptees,” is finally nearing publication.
We have 15 writers from the U.S., 5 from France, 4 from Sweden, 2 from Australia, and one each from adoptees living in Canada,The Netherlands, and Ethiopia.
Most of our writers are women/girls; there are 5 men/boys. The age range is from 8 years old to over 50 years old.
The essays and poems range in length from 85 words to almost 2400 words. The book will be available in electronic and hard copy versions. The cover art is by the extraordinarily talented Ethiopian artist Nahosenay Negussie. Here’s a sneak peek of a portion of the art:
A few of the essays are about a writer’s memories in Ethiopia before being placed in an orphanage. Some are about the time spent in an orphanage, some are about dealing with racism, some are reflections on adoption itself. Some are upbeat; some are introspective and mournful. Some are about giving back to Ethiopia. Some are matter-of-fact; some are deeply emotional.
They have a powerful range in terms of their subject matter, Each one reflects the writer’s truth. They show the spectrum of Ethiopian adoptees’ experiences, through the adoptees’ voices.
We are dedicating the book to the memory of Ethiopian adoptees who have died by suicide, or have died at the hands of their adoptive parents.
Profits from the book are going to the creation of an Ethiopian adoptee guest house in Addis. We may do a fundraiser at some point to get the book translated into Amharic, and perhaps into other languages. Translations are expensive, and we would love to get the book into as many readers’ hands as possible.
We are in the process of contacting folks to be advance readers of the anthology, reaching out to Ethiopians and to transracial international adoptees. Our Facebook page and other social media will soon go live.
The journey to publication has been complicated. I am deeply honored by the trust and courage of each one of the writers to write these essays and poems. We can’t wait to share their stories with the world.