The Inauthentic Existence by Tewodros Tefera

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January 14, 2022 | 4 minutes read | Public Submissions | 574 |

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The Inauthentic Existence, a book by Tewodros Tefera, was inaugurated at Fendika Cultural Centre on Sunday, January 2nd. Here's a review from on of our writer's that attended the event.

The number of Ethiopian authors who write in English is so low that most people are not even aware of their existence. At first glance, especially from those who don’t have a modicum of understanding of life in our country, this lack may be attributed to the fault of the author. One cannot deny that there is merit in the literature of a country being as diverse as possible; how else can the country’s heritage, culture, and lifestyle be represented on the global stage?

Before hastily condemning our country’s authors for not producing such forms of art, however, it would be prudent to consider Ethiopia’s reading culture. We live in a country where even literature that is written in local languages hardly gets any reading as evidenced by the financial hardships even our greatest authors suffer from. Nowadays, to take the risk of writing in English is to almost certainly damn the monetary success of a book. That is why that one brave soul who dares to take the risk, knowing full well that their book will almost certainly not sell, deserves celebration.

The inauguration of the book The Inauthentic Existence, by Tewodros Tefera, was held on Sunday, January 2nd at Fendika Cultural Center. The audience ranged from those that knew the author when they were children to famous authors and publishers. Speeches were given by a few of the guests and the author himself. We also heard reviews, selected passages, and excerpts from the author’s life. Had the inauguration been announced sooner, a lot of the participants would have read the book beforehand which would have been far better given that the book is the type that needs to be discussed.

The first thing that uniquely caught my attention was how a lot of people described Tewodros Teferra as perhaps the only existentialist Ethiopian author. That fact is made immediately clear on the back cover of the book where a paragraph excerpt describes the definition of the term ‘Inauthentic Existence’ and Jean-Paul Sartre is quoted. The book, which deals with the many nuanced aspects of existentialism, should be enough to sell any reader to read it, but when one learns what the book is about, reading it becomes irresistible.

The Inauthentic Existence is primarily a collection of essays. The first two essays recall aspects of the author’s life at Amanuel Hospital where he had been an in-patient to get treatment for alcohol addiction. These essays are written in a way to captivate any reader as the reader is either part of the Ethiopian society that has absolutely no idea what life inside Amanuel Hospital is or they are part of the society that knows and relates with the experiences of the author. Of the twelve essays in the book, there were a few that resonated with me so deeply that I would be remiss if I didn’t say a few words.

Unforgettable Characters from Amanuel is the first essay in the book. Through his beautiful writing, Tewodros exposes the most interesting characters that he came across during his stay there. Very real people like Haile Henok, who literally thought himself to be God, the tragic romantic Zeray who lost his mind after his love interest rejected him, and Manchilot who, after coming to the hospital to visit someone else, was made to stay as a patient after a set of interesting events are shown not only for their afflictions but for their humanity as well.

The Authentic Existence as Lived by Mezgebe Belay is also an essay in the collection that is sublimely written, chronicling the dynamics between the author and one of the most interesting people I have ever heard of, Mezgebe Belay. Through an overview of their relationship, we are introduced to Mezgebe Belay as a person for whom living true to one’s own beliefs is a given regardless of the circumstances.

Our Intellectual Culture and Intellectual I came Across, on the other hand, is an essay that gives the reader exactly what it promises. For anyone who is interested in finding out what the current state of the country’s intelligentsia looks like, it is the perfect expose, if you will.

A Bus Trip Taken Twenty Years Ago is another presentation of the typical life the average person would relate to immensely. The essay is about a trip the author had taken from Bahir Dar to Addis Ababa. That it was twenty years ago serves as a window to those who were not around during the time; it also serves as, presumably, a nostalgia shot for those who have.

In Defense of Reading Literature, however, might just be my personal favorite. For starters, it is in this essay that the author’s insatiable passion for serious literature shines its brightest. Secondly, it finalizes the author’s criticisms of the dying reading culture of current times.

All in all, even without the brave steps taken by the author, the book is very good and very praise-worthy. Tewodros Teferra is a great writer. He is not unnecessarily verbose in his elegance; not overly simplistic in his brevity; not preachy when he shares his wisdom. It is my hope that this small and yet weighty book reaches many shelves not only in our country but all over the world.

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