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| 12th April 2008
Goa Herald
British author
in search of Goan classmate...
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| 1st December 2007
Coventry Telegraph
Dream that
led Annette to write a book...
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September 2007
Interviewed by Diane Bailey, UN Radio
Listen
here [MP3 13MB]
12th September 2007
UN book talk highlights
The day dawned with a clear blue
sky, a good omen. I got up an hour before I needed to, to
go through the presentation, and to visualise feeling calm,
when it was another momentous step on the journey. I needn't
have worried - the Ethiopian ambassador, H.E. Negash Botora,
was charming and very well briefed about the book, and made
me feel at ease. There had been a short item in the UN Journal
- the daily briefing sheet which all UN Missions and reporters
read - which was helpful. Almost 30 people attended, representing
13 different countries. I was delighted to meet the Armenian
ambassador and one of his attaches, along with attaches from
the US and Egyptian missions. The rest were people who were
interested in news about the UN Millennium Development Goals
and Ethiopian supporters. The introduction from the ambassador
was very poignant, as he read out one of the dreams I'd included
in the book, as the introduction and then for the next half
an hour, people listened, nodded, laughed and gasped.
10am, 12th September 2007
Conference room A, United Nations, New York
His Excellency, Negash Botora, Ethiopian
ambassador to the United Nations, will be hosting a talk in
conference room A at the UN Plaza, New York. Ambassadors from
all the countries whose citizens helped me have been invited,
along with leaders of faith groups, former classmates and
the media.
22nd March 2007
The Book Depository
Interview...
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| January 2007 InspireMagazine.org
Book
on Ethiopia inspired by dream
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| 19th October 2006 Buckingham
Advertiser
20,000-mile
hunt for old friends...
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| 27th October 2006 Ethiopian
Herald
Ethiopia: British Author Publishes Book Entitled "An
Ethiopian Odyssey"...
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| October 2006 WaterAid Coverage
An Ethiopian Odyssey
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| February 2004 Authentic Business
Article
An Ethiopian Odyssey
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7pm, 31st October 2007
Women’s Institute, Thornborough, Buckinghamshire.
Tea was being brewed as I walked into
the Women's Institute meeting in Thornborough village hall
on Hallowe'en Home made biscuits were carefully laid on plates:
gingerbread, macaroons, flapjacks, shortbreads, and Viennese
fingers. All looked delicious and my tummy rumbled, as I'd
had to rush back from work to give the talk. When the hall
was full to bursting - almost 60 members from all over north
Buckinghamshire - the meeting was declared open and we stood
to sing "Jerusalem", that wonderful hymn with lyrics
by William Blake, with which the BBC Proms finishes each year.
A complete contrast to the giggling witches, goblins, ghouls
and Frankensteins knocking on doors and running from house
to house, trick or treating!
The focus for this audience was the local angle: how people
in Britain had helped in the search for missing classmates.
There were sharp intakes of breath when I revealed that through
the 'Buckingham Advertiser' I'd found Jack Atamian, the second
cousin of one of my classmates, and the support of my church,
SS Peter & Paul. I told them about the talk at the United
Nations and the letter from Gordon Brown, which made many
sit up. But best of all were the questions - "Why were
your classmates so elite?" "How did you manage to
fund your journey?" "In what way is your life different
today?" I told them of the joy I felt, knowing that I
was finally on the right track, and the ability to discover
and appreciate the connections across the world, as I continued
the quest to reunite all my missing classmates for book 2.
Over a third of the audience queued up afterwards to buy a
copy, including some for early Christmas presents.
26th October 2006
Addis Ababa launch: Nazareth School for Girls
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| Addis was experiencing unseasonal
rain during my stay in Ethiopia last week, but Thursday 26th
October dawned bright and sunny. Nazareth School’s library
was the venue for the book launch there – a promise I’d
kept to Sister Weynemariam, the head, and Marta Asrat, my former
classmate and school secretary, who sadly died in March 2005. |
Addis book display |
A rapturous welcome |
| Over 40 people were there,
along with a TV crew and the local news agency! President Girma
received a rapturous welcome from the school – it was
the first time they were honoured with a visit from him. Bernd
Dreesmann had made a special trip from Cologne – Hiruth
Girma, my classmate and the President’s daughter, had
worked for him for a year in 1974. Sister Weynemariam welcomed
him and the guests, before handing over to me. I succeeded in
keeping my talk short – 30 minutes – and afterwards
there was time for book signings and a few sales. |
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Sister Weynemariam welcomes the guests |
Answering questions |
| There was a poignant moment
when Addisalem (New World) stood up, the youngest of Marta’s
daughters, who’s now in the ninth grade there. I gave
her a special signed copy in memory of her mother, and donated
three books to the library, so students can enjoy the story.
All the school turned out for my departure – an amazing
and wonderful moment. I could get used to the cheers! |
Discussing the book with President Girma
and Bernd Dreesmann |
A proud moment for the school |
| Very good media
coverage: The following
day, the book made the front page of The Ethiopian Herald
– the English language newspaper, and it was on TV.
Many people are interested in buying a copy, but I need to
find a good local printer so it’s affordable for Ethiopians.
And now it’s time to promote the
book in the UK. More news soon! |
| 22nd October 2006
An Ethiopian Odyssey signing at SS Peter and Paul
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| A signing at my church, SS
Peter and Paul, in Buckingham. There was a real buzz amongst
the congregation that morning, as many had followed my journey
from March 2004. |
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“And that lady there is Fanaye,
my classmate”
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| 20th October 2006
An Ethiopian Odyssey London Book Launch
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The London book launch took
place at the Globe Theatre and was a great success: |
A proud moment, standing by the directional
sign at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
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Ken, my former boss, with Fanaye, my
classmate from Cologne and I
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| 20th October 2006
Former pupil posts to 'The Door'
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Linda, one of the attendees
at the launch sent me this
link later that day, from the website of the Door, the
Oxford diocese magazine. How amazing that a former pupil should
post it the day of the launch! |
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