2024: month by month breakdown

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Thank you to O.O. Sangoyomi’s for her post that inspired this format.

This year held enough to fill a lifetime, and was more than younger me could have ever envisioned. And so without further ado:

January

After a year of revision, went on submission with “Too Pretty To Lie”/TPTL. Celebrated my birthday. Highschool friend came to visit me in Cambridge, so I finally ventured out of my room and into London. Traveled to Lisbon, Portugal with him. Walked a lot of hills, visited the oldest bookshop in the world. Museums. Drinks. Tours. Rain. Went to a book launch of “The Principle of Moments” by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson. Met Adjoa Andoh (actress who plays Lady Danbury) there. Went to a lot of formals. Danced ceilidh for the first time.

February

Had my third module for my master’s, on Screenwriting. Started getting into running. Saw Hamilton in London. (U.S. version was better imo, but loved this version, too.) Pages of TPTL was chosen for a Masterclass, and live-edited as I slunk in the auditorium seat. Tried, and failed, to get further into a new wip. More formals.

March

Stopped running, and replaced it with long walks. Started bartending at my college bar. Went to launch of Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s “Where Sleeping Girls Lie.” Visited Bath, saw where part of Bridgeton was shot. Went to Wales with some friends. Climbed Mount Snowden/Yr Wyddfa. Saw a bunch of castles. Very fun.

April

Went on a second round of submissions for TPTL. Was depressed by all things publishing atp. Started term break, roommie’s visa finally got accepted so we got to do a mini Eurotrip.

• Edinburgh: so lovely, so rainy. Climbed Arthur’s Seat in honor of “One Day.”

• Athens and Santorini: Greece, oh how I love you. April was perfect time to go. Such good food, good people, and so many cats.

• Venice: the best pizza I’ve ever had.

May

Had my last program module, on Creative Nonfiction. Saw Hadestown in London. Worked as college exam invigilator. Encampment for Palestine started on campus, and I camped out most of the month. A lot of protests. Cold, tiring, the most brilliant space of camaraderie and solidarity.

June

Went back to Boston for my babies’ (brothers’) graduations. One from eighth grade; one from highschool. Got to hang with 4/6 college roommies who are still in Boston. One of them scored 100th percentile on the MCAT (!!) and got to celebrate her. Caught a comedy show. Saw an Ethiopian museum exhibit with my elementary school teacher. Went back to England, worked a bunch of May Balls. More divestment protests. 1/6 college roommies came to visit. Had my fellowship dinner. Said goodbye to friends heading out of Cambridge. A lot of tears.

July

I pooled money with my parents and older brother to take the kids on a sibling’s trip - their first vacation, and first eurotrip! Went to Athens, Santorini, Rome, and Venice. Lots of spreadsheets. Food tours, gelatos, spas, pool days, train strikes, flight delays. Best ever use of my money + time, and the most precious experience.

August

Reading retreat in Wales with a friend. “Parable of Sower” by Octavia E. Butler is so good?! Moved out of my fellowship room and into a new grad housing. Started tour guiding. Spent all my time with said friend (she was finishing up her new manuscript; I was trying and failing to write anything.) Editor interest for TPTL came in!

September

Went to Boston for a family thing. Fished for the first time with friends. “Immortal Dark” by Tigest Girma came out (ethiopian writer! black vampires! enemies to lovers!) Got on a call with an editor. Returned to Cambridge. Did a lot more tour guiding. Decorated my new space.

October

TPTL passed through acquisitions - got my first book offer! Started cooking for the first time. (Got really into salmon, dense bean salads, and baked protein oats for a while.) Met a new twitter writing acquaintance. Joined the campus pole dancing society. Got a second book offer! Had a great Halloweekend. Last day of Oct, the final book offers came through - my editor is officially Nidhi Pugalia at Viking/Penguin Random House (!!!)

November

Did an unofficial nanowrimo (my discord group called it nomowrimo). Spent a lot of time with the writing “acquaintance” (readers, we would spend all of term together.) Met another friend. Became a lil trio, went to a bunch of formals and had a lot of late night library sessions together. Visited Oxford. Hosted some friends from out of town. Had a friendsgiving with family of one of my program cohort. Wrote 40k of my wip!

December

Book announcement went up! Got some film interest (nothing confirmed, but I now have a film agent). Had a bake + movie night with friends. Went back to Boston for the holidays. Now spending time with siblings, parents, and friends, and trying to process that I, Birukti Tsige, am going to be a published author (?!)

reading & roaring with praise

Midnights With You by Clare Osongco: Two high school seniors with family trauma keeping them up at night fall in love over a series of secret late-night driving lessons. (I first saw Clare’s book when it was in Pitch Wars - was stunned by the first pages, and became determined to be her friend. And now, it’s out!)

So, yeah.

Wow. What a year.

A lot more I want to say, but I’ll save that for another time. Happy happy almost-2025, friends. Hoping it’s a good one.

With so much love,

Birukti