Who’s Who in the Story Collecting Project
The storytellers
The Story Collecting Project was a remarkable, collaborative venture. The most important contributors, of course, were the storytellers themselves. They were men and women from every region of Ethiopia and from many walks of life. They included farmers, teachers, midwives, a nun, priests, merchants, old soldiers, school children and many others. Their names are recorded story by story and region by region.
Project Leaders
Elizabeth Laird
Elizabeth Laird, award-winning British children's writer. (www.elizabethlaird.co.uk) Originator of the project and collector of the stories.
Michael Sargent
Director of the British Council in Ethiopia 1992-1998. Founder of The Ethiopian Conservation Trust (www.eht.et)
Dr Negusse Araya
Former teacher. Worked with the British Council in Eritrea, the UK, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda. Amharic adviser.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education, under the guidance of Wzo Genet Zewdie, had oversight of the project as a whole and gave it full-hearted support. The collection of stories was facilitated by the Regional Cultural and Education Officers, who are listed individually in the introduction to each region’s stories.
The British Council translators
Michael Daniel Ambatchew
Amharic–English translator
in Assayita
Mikhail Negussie
Amharic–English translator
on the road to Jijiga
Mesfin Habte-mariam
Amharic–English translator
near Bahir Dar
Simplified versions of the stories, and exercises
The selection of stories from the large number collected was made by Elizabeth Laird, who rewrote them in graded, simplified English. The exercises were written by Elizabeth Laird, Jacek Opienski and Ann Rossiter.
The artists
Yosef Kebede
Illustrator
Eric Robson
Illustrator
Translation, production and support
The stories were translated from Amharic into English by the project translators, with help from local members of the Regional Cultural and Education Bureaux. The website was translated into Amharic by Shimeles Lemma Birru, with Amharic proofreading by Dr Negusse Araya. The British Council drivers Teklehaimanot Yigletu and the late Dereje Mekonnen carried the team safely over thousands of miles of Ethiopian roads. The original website was set up with the expert technical assistance of Gareth Cromie, Anton Oliinyk and Anna Sidyakina.
The Christensen Fund
The original website was generously funded by The Christensen Fund, under the guidance of Wolde Gossa Tadesse, who gave not only financial support but warm encouragement throughout.
A note on copyright
These stories are the property of the Ethiopian people, and no one has the right to copyright them. They may be retold by anyone in their own words, in print, on air or online. However, these versions of the stories are the copyright of Elizabeth Laird and her authorship must be acknowledged. They may be downloaded and distributed freely for educational purposes, but cannot be reprinted for commercial sale or reproduced on another website without the author’s permission.
The artwork, created by Yosef Kebede and Eric Robson, cannot be copied or used outside the purpose of this website without acknowledgement and the artists’ permission.
The reading exercises are the copyright of Elizabeth Laird, Jacek Opienski and Ann Rossiter.