The Anglo-Ethiopian Society
Lecture - Imperial Exile: Haile Selassie's wilderness years in Bath
Keith Bowers
Thursday 7th April 2016
7:00pm, Room G3, Main Building, SOAS, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG - Public lecture (all welcome)
Some of the story of Haile Selassie's exile in Bath between 1936 and 1940 is well known. But many aspects of his enforced stay in the UK after fleeing from the Italian invasion of Ethiopia are still hidden from view.
In a new book Keith Bowers, an AES member, has written an accessible study of the Emperor's exile experience. Relying on extensive research from the Kew Records office and regional newspapers in the UK, Imperial Exile tells the extraordinary story of how Haile Selassie emerges from the depth of despair to return to Addis Ababa in triumph in 1941.
The book also features interviews with descendants of some of the key players during the exile period, including the Emperor's granddaughter, Princess Seble Desta, who lived as a child in Fairfield House in Bath where the Imperial family established its base.
Capacity at the venue is limited, so please reserve your place soon to avoid disappointment.