Bereket Lulseged

Bereket Lulseged

Bereket Lulseged is the author of Muna & Abebe, a fun and adventurous children’s book about the exceptional friendship between 10-year old Muna and the legendary Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila. It’s the first book written by Bereket Lulseged.

 

Inspirational Ethiopian stories

During her studies, a friend painfully noted there aren’t any storybooks available that highlight inspirational storybooks highlighting the lives of inspirational Ethiopians for her son. Her friend wanted her son to learn positive things about his country and be proud of his background.

Bereket decided to focus on the legendary Abebe Bikila for her first storybook. Bereket: “It was such a joy and inspiration to learn more about his strength and determination to succeed.”

Bereket Lulseged - Author Market FifytFour

Grandmother's stories

In order to make the reading fun and adventurous, Bereket envisioned a curious little girl traveling back in time to witness the greatness of Abebe. “I believe his life story can inspire so many children, and it also expressed the joy of living in Ethiopia.” The book also honors Bereket’s grandmother: “My grandmother knew a lot of oral literature though she couldn’t read or write. But she always amazed me by packing so much wisdom and truth in just a few sentences.”

Her grandmother knew a lot of oral literature though she couldn't read or write, just like Muna's grandmother, and it always amazed her how one could pack so much wisdom and truth in just a few sentences.

 

Muna and Abebe in Amharic

Growing up in Ethiopia

Bereket Lulseged was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She started writing short stories at the age of nine, entertaining family and guests by improvising skits with her older sister form a young age on. 

"My older sister is the most artistic person I know: she writes poems, plays and short stories and on top of all these, she also paints. Eventually her love for art, literature specifically, rubbed on to me as well." Says Bereket. As she got older, Bereket stopped performing her short stories but her desire to write stories or plays never faded. “I had this intense desire to write these flash fictions about life in Ethiopia, particularly obscure women, while in graduate school. So I did! And since I didn't have an outlet for these stories, I published them on Facebook. The creative process was so cathartic and beautiful that I decided to keep writing."

 

Bereket moved to the United States to attend a boarding school in New Mexico. She’s recently completed her Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison after graduating from Brown University with a BSc in Biochemistry.

 

The Muna & Abebe ebook is published both in English and Amharic

Muna & Abebe, Ethiopian children's book

 

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