Ainalem Tebeje Speaks About Her Books
Media Club member, author Ainalem Tebeje participated in the speaker series at Abbotsford House on Wednesday, November 8th. About 20 people were on hand to hear her speak, some in person seated in the building’s dining room and others participating via Zoom. She discussed her two books – My Love Story in Broken English (published in 2018) and it’s sequel, called The Refugee (published in 2022) and answered questions about how she was inspired to write her novels.
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Abbotsford House which is part of the Glebe Seniors Centre across from Lansdowne Park is the second oldest house in the Glebe area and has an interesting history, some of which involves writing. It was built in 1867 or possibly 1872 for Bytown resident, businessman Alexander Mutchmor who named the home after the Scottish birthplace of author Sir Walter Scott.
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When Mutchmor moved in 1879 he sold Abbotsford House to Ottawa Mayor Charles H. Mackintosh who also served as the editor and publisher of The Evening Citizen at the same time as he was mayor. In 1984 Abbotsford House was designated as a heritage property.