Mengistu Lemma
Mengistu Lemma (1924–1988) was an Ethiopian playwright and poet. Biography. Mengistu was born in Harar, to Aleqa Lemma Hailu and Wro Abebech Yilma. After undertaking traditional religious studies at the Tiqo Mekane Selassie church where his father was Aleqa (a title given to church leaders), he moved to the capital Addis Ababa due to the transfer of his father to the Qatchane Medhane'alem Church. There he was admitted to Kotebe Qedamawi Haile Selassie school. In 1948, Mengistu studied in London at the Regent Street Polytechnic before studying economics and political science at the London School of Economics. In  the six years he spent in London, he was able to meet and then establish friendship with the famous British playwright George Bernard Shaw. In 1954, Mengistu returned to Ethiopia and then was sent to the embassy of Ethiopia to India as the First Secretary of the Ethiopian Embassy in New Delhi. There he completed his play "Telfo Be Kissie" ("Marriage by Abduction") (1959), which he had created for a marriage ceremony while he was in Ethiopia. This play was the first modern comedy play in the history of Ethiopian theatre. He also wrote "Yalacha Gabicha" ("Marriage of Unequals") (1964 ), "Tsere Colonialist" and "Bale Kaba Ena Bale Daba" (1979). In addition Mengistu translated Anton Chekhov's "The Bear" as "Dandiew Chabude" and J.B. Priestley's "An Inspector Calls" as "Tayaqi". He also published the first Amharic book on dramatic techniques. Mengistu was fluent in English, and spoke French and Italian. He travels included New York, Montreal and the Soviet Union (1965), Sweden, Denmark and Turkey (1967), Scandinavia (1969) and Los Angeles (1970). Mengistu was the Director General, Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Secretary General of the Ethiopian Literary Society; Council Member on the Ethiopian National Council for UNESCO; Council Member  of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Evangelical Council. On the basis of his outstanding contribution to Amharic literature, he was awarded the 1967 Haile Selassie I Prize Trust Award. Writings. Different social and political, as well as traditional and cultural issues dominate the plays of Mengistu Lemma: