Ethiopian author Abere Adamu has earned a place on the shortlist for the 2025 BRICS Literature Award, making him the first Ethiopian to do so. His nomination brings new attention to Ethiopian literature, which is often overlooked or under-translated outside the country.

The announcement was made in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the H.B. Jassin Literary Documentation Center. The BRICS Literature Award, launched in 2024, aims to highlight writers from BRICS member countries and encourage cultural exchange among them. Abere, who is also president of the Ethiopian Writers’ Association, joins nine other authors from countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, the UAE, Indonesia, and Egypt.

For Abere, the recognition is not just personal it’s a chance to bring Ethiopian stories and languages to a wider audience. He has often spoken about how few Ethiopian works are translated into major world languages, making it difficult for local writers to gain international recognition. He hopes opportunities like this will help change that.

The award focuses on writers whose work reflects their country’s cultural roots, traditions, and everyday life. Abere’s writing often centered on history, spirituality, social justice, and resilience fits that mission well.

The shortlist was chosen from an initial list of 27 authors announced in September. The winner will be revealed on November 27, 2025, at a ceremony in Khabarovsk, Russia.

Regardless of the outcome, Abere’s nomination marks an important moment for Ethiopian literature and shows how storytelling can play a role in cultural diplomacy, not just politics and economics.