September Meeting: THE LOST SPELL

About this event

For September we'll be reading THE LOST SPELL by Yismake Worku, translated by Bethlem Attfield. Publisher Synopsis: 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. Madison's wonderful independent bookstores or from [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/p/books/shocked-earth-saskia-goldschmidt/17709428?ean=9781912235681&next=t)! There are also used copies available from several online retailers.