After almost 100 years, the anti-colonial novel “The Conscript” has finally appeared in Italian translation, thanks to the work of translator Uoldelul Chelati Dirar and funding obtained by Alessandra Ferrini.

Originally written in Tigrinya in 1927, an English translation by Ghirmai Negash appeared in 2012, while an Arabic version by Faraj al-Tarhouni has come out in recent years in Libya. The author, Gebreyesus Hailu (1906–1993) was a prominent and influential figure in the cultural and intellectual life of Eritrea during the Italian colonial period and in the post-Italian era in Africa. He earned a PhD in theology, was vicar general of the Catholic Church in Eritrea, and played several important roles in the Ethiopian government, including as cultural attaché at the Ethiopian Embassy in Rome.

The original Tigrinya version of the novel is not in print but a PDF version can be found here.