Ethiopia’s First Female Superhero Comic ‘Hawi’ Nominated At NOMMO Awards.
Founder of Etan Comics and Ethiopian writer, Beserat Debebe, has been been nominated for this year’s NOMMO Awards for African Speculative Fiction for his Hawi comic in the category of “Best Graphic Novel”. The Nommo Awards are presented in four categories namely “Best Novel”, “Best Novella”, “Best Short Story” and “Best Graphic Novel”. Hawi is the first female comic to ever come out of Ethiopia. Additionally, Debebe’s Jember, which was the country’s first ever comic, made it onto the long-list in the same category.
Hawi, as described by Debebe, “centers a female superhero, a young Ethiopian woman named Ement Legesse, who is tasked with having to rescue her mother after she’s abducted. The colorful visuals are stunning and showcase Debebe’s talented team of African artists and their unique ability to capture the vibrancy of Ethiopia. A story about returning to one’s roots and having the courage to rise above the challenges that come with seeking reconciliation and belonging, it’s one we can all relate to whether literally or figuratively.”
Following its wildly successful kickstarter which covered the remaining costs of production, Hawi has become a beloved work of art not just for Ethiopians but Africans across the continent and the diaspora.
Speaking about the recent nomination, Debebe says, “This is incredible.” He adds that, “I loved fantasy stories but I’d never considered myself as a writer. All I wanted was to see a story with places I recognize and characters that think like me. To see this journey balloon from a simple “what if” into a community of passionate fans is exciting and motivating. Last year, Nnedi Okorafor took this award for writing Shuri (Marvel’s Black Panther). She is a Hugo-Award winner. To be recognized as a finalist in the same category as her means so much.”
Writers who have been nominated for the NOMMO Awards in the past include Akwaeke Emezi, Biram Mboob and T.L. Huchu among several others.
The 2020 Photo Annual Awards Opens For Submissions.
The 2020 edition of the Photo Annual Awards opens for submission. By entering the Photo Annual awards, you’re putting your work in front of photo editors and creatives from some of the world’s most respected publications and agencies.
This year, the organizers tapped tastemakers from Y&R, Bloomberg Pursuits, ESPN The Magazine, The California Sunday Magazine, Vogue, and New York’s The Cut among other revered industry leaders to judge the competition.
To enter, you must present work created or published from February 2019 to June 2020 and also be eligible for cash prizes including the $5,000 Photographer of the Year Award, the $2,500 PDN Publisher’s Choice Award and the $2,500 Professional and $1,000 Student awards from the Marty Forscher Fellowship Fund.
The event will come together to celebrate photography at the awards ceremony in October. Photographers and industry professionals will convene to honor this year’s winners during one unforgettable night in New York City.
Diane Russet’s Short Film “Anorexia” Addresses Eating Disorders
Big Brother Naija 2019 star Diane Russet has released a powerful short film that details some of the things people with eating disorders go through daily. The film titled “Anorexia” stars a young lady Mimi who has to struggle with body acceptance and her inner thoughts that constantly remind her to lose weight.
Explaining the disorder, Diane wrote:
Anorexia
An eating disorder that causes people to obsess about weight and what they eat. Anorexia is characterised by a distorted body image, with an unwarranted fear of being overweight.
Symptoms include trying to maintain an abnormal weight through starvation or excessive exercising. Usually common in the fashion industry, young models starve just to fit in. This is very present in our society and the issue has been neglected.
Let’s create awareness, especially during this pandemic.
Here’s the short film
Text excluding title courtesy Bellanaija
