Addis ፡ Newspaper ፡ began ፡ in ፡ 2014 ፡ as ፡ a ፡ solitary ፡ protest ፡ against ፡ the ፡ Ethiopian ፡ government’s ፡ crackdown ፡ on ፡ media ፡ freedom, ፡ which ፡ resulted ፡ in ፡ the ፡ banning ፡ of ፡ six ፡ newspapers ፡ and ፡ magazines. ፡ In ፡ response, ፡ the ፡ singular ፡ copies ፡ of ፡ handwritten ፡ newspapers ፡ are ፡ designed ፡ to ፡ resist ፡ mass ፡ production ፡ and ፡ censorship. ፡ The ፡ outdated ፡ news, ፡ sarcastic ፡ tone, ፡ and ፡ labor-intensive ፡ process ፡ became ፡ a ፡ poetic ፡ gesture, ፡ exposing ፡ both ፡ state-imposed ፡ and ፡ self-imposed ፡ silences።

In ፡ Addis ፡ Ababa, ፡ newspapers ፡ are ፡ often ፡ read ፡ communally ፡ in ፡ public ፡ spaces ፡ like ፡ Arat ፡ Killo, ፡ where ፡ people ፡ gather ፡ to ፡ borrow ፡ and ፡ engage ፡ with ፡ them. ፡ These ፡ informal ፡ reading ፡ spaces ፡ inspired ፡ the ፡ project’s ፡ format ፡ and ፡ ethos. ፡ Using ፡ the ፡ Ethiopian ፡ literary ፡ tradition ፡ of ፡ “Wax ፡ and ፡ Gold,” ፡ each ፡ issue ፡ layered ፡ meaning ፡ and ፡ critique, ፡ addressing ፡ themes ፡ from ፡ political ፡ transitions ፡ to ፡ the ፡ void ፡ left ፡ by ፡ suppressed ፡ speech።

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