You came to Norway in 2024, but you are originally from Eritrea. Can you tell us a little about what life in Eritrea was like?

When I left Eritrea nearly sixteen years ago, the country had already descended into one-man rule. There was no free press, no political parties, and Eritrea was rapidly spiraling into a totalitarian system. After the 2001 crackdown, when journalists and political opponents were taken from their homes, no word ever emerged about their fate. To make matters worse, another wave of repression soon targeted the journalists of Radio Bana and others from the Ministry of Information. Many of them were my friends, and I feared that I would be next. People were being dragged from their homes by security agents for unknown reasons and then disappeared. Nobody knew where they had gone, and terror reigned everywhere.

How did you end up as a "Friby-author" in Norway?

I applied for protection after facing a social media campaign calling for my death. This campaign targeted me because of the controversial book by Dan Connell that I translated to Tigrigna. His book explores the roots of Eritrea's PFDJ party in the years after the Armed Struggle. I translated the book under a pseudonym to protect my family, who lived in Eritrea, from harm. I translated the book in Ethiopia, when I lived there as an urban refugee. Only three people knew that I was the real translator. Later one of those revealed my name and the calls for my death were unleashed on social media. That was when I was advised by fellow journalist and writer friends of mine to apply to ICORN. I did.

What made you start writing?

I served as a journalist from 1998-2000 in the Ministry of Information, where I was producing and presenting "the Culture and Arts" program. I was introduced to the art of writing from a fairly young age. I continued to produce articles for the youth program since the early 2000s until I left the country in 2010. Ever since then I have been engaged in exposing the authoritarian regime in Eritrea and the egregious human rights abuses.

My master and PhD dissertation were dedicated to shedding light on how unbridled nationalism was responsible for militarism and bellicose disposition of the state.

Do you think you would be a different person if you didn't write, and if so, in what way?

Writing has now become second to my nature. It is the way I express myself, open myself and my views to my audiences and on the way imagine other possibilities in a fast-changing world. I can't imagine myself out of this activity.

You also work as a translator. Why is it important for you to translate the work of other authors?

Eritrea is a closed state where the people live in the worst dictatorship the world has ever seen. People are not allowed to think freely, let alone write anything that swerves a bit from the dominant state "Discourse". Any literature of great honesty has come from foreigners who visited and knew Eritrea. I believe translating those works is important.

But my interest in translation is not limited to political literature. I love literature and translate books that are worth reading for themselves.

Tell us about a book that has been particularly important in your life, and why this book became so important:

Plato's "The Republic" is the book that keeps astonishing me for the breadth of its scope. It is, I believe, a must read for anyone who wants to enjoy both great insight and literary beauty at the same time. The works by the Russian author Fjodor Dostojevskij, particularly "The Brothers Karamazov", is another inspiration.

What is the best thing about writing and what is the worst thing about writing?

Writing engages one with the major debates of one’s time. It is a tool for bloodless struggle aiming at change. That is the strength of writing. The worst thing about writing is that it is losing its grip fast with TikTok and other social media phenomena. It is becoming a medium for fewer and fewer people by the year.

What role does the library play in your life?

The library is my second home. A safe refuge, perhaps.

What are you reading right now?

I am reading Schopenhauer and his pessimistic ideas about life. I am reading him because one can understand Nietzche more with Schopenhauer. But also for his views. I love his notorious honesty.