The book cover has a picture rendered with half-tone black and white. The picture is a young girl with Zemecha uniform and hat with her honest face and semi-relaxed eyes staring at her angle with a look of both uncertainty and calmness. Looking at it, you sense a beautiful girl so real, so natural, so simple, and so honest! You cannot help, but wonder why this picture is on the cover of the book. It is only when you start reading the book, you would realize why that is as the picture begins to merge with every poem layer after layer.

This book is Yilala Denebo, by Ato Amha Asfaw, a collection of poems from his early days until its publication.

The poems reflect his real experience, observation, and fascination with his surrounding. They are diverse in topics, and plain at heart. Yes, that is the landmark of Ato Amha's poetry.

He has written several books. In all of them, treating each subject with honesty and fierce independent mind. For him, tampering with what he observe is tantamount to distortion. Thus, his immense respect for something that is real and closer. This is the embodiment of his work, which one can sense from this interview.

Ato Amha Asfaw is a poet, a painter, a software developer, and a researcher. His Ethiopic software Brana is still popular and widely used. He has served and volunteered in many projects ranging from fund raising for noble causes to helping others in Ethiopic computing and book publications.

This piece is an interview with Ato Amha Asfaw covering various subjects including literary works, Ethiopic computing, Internet, and others. We have added a resource page which would be helpful to locate his books and others. Taking this opportunity, we would like to thank Ato Amha Asfaw not only for his participation in this interview, but also for his profound contribution in many areas.

If you have any comments or feedback, please write us with contact@senamirmir.org.

-abass alamnehe
September, 2003; Senamirmir Projects
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~