Eritrean-Ethiopian author Donica Merhazion is set to publish her debut novel titled Born at the End of the World with Catalyst Press set in Ethiopia in the 1970s.

Inspired by a true story during the 1970s Ethiopian Red Terror, the book explores the intertwining of a man’s and woman’s destinies, whose love, courage, and resilience demonstrate that heroes are just ordinary people making extraordinary choices.

Donica Merhazion was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1979 under unimaginable circumstances – in an Ethiopian prison called Alem Bekagn translated to “end of the world”. A former journalist and now teacher, Merhazion currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya. She has also called Eritrea, Zambia, and the United States her home. Merhazion holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Asmara and a MA in General and Special Education from the University of Maryland.

We are excited to see how Merhazion intertwines her real life story growing up in an Ethiopian prison with her debut novel, whose title gestures toward her childhood.

Congrats to Merhazion on her debut novel!