Professor receives international honour during commemorative event for historical Ethiopian diplomat

A UWE Bristol professor whose research has highlighted Bath's unique connections with Ethiopia's history has received an international honour recognising his work.

Professor Shawn Sobers, Professor of Socially Engaged Practice, was awarded a Knighthood in the Royal, Civil and Military Order of the Steel Crown by H.R.H. Prince Antoine V of Araucania and Patagonia, during a ceremony at Bath Guildhall.

The award recognises Professor Sobers’ research, creative practice, and heritage leadership connected to Fairfield House, the former home-in-exile of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, and the legacy of Ethiopian diplomat Blattengueta Heruy Wolde Selassie.

The Order of the Steel Crown, established in 1869, is the highest distinction of the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia. Awarded on behalf of the exiled royal house associated with the indigenous Mapuche people, the honour recognises individuals who advance human rights, equality, anti-racism, and support for exiled communities.

Professor Sobers said: "I'm genuinely honoured and humbled by this award, and the recognition of my work to be marked in this way. My research follows my passions and interests in life, and it is always touching when your work resonates with others. Never in my dreams did I imagine it to lead to anything like this. It motivates me to keep doing what I'm doing and exploring and sharing real life stories and histories that need to be heard and not forgotten."

The award was presented during Prince Antoine V’s visit to Bath to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Blattengueta Heruy Wolde Selassie - the former Ethiopian Foreign Minister, historian, and author who passed away at Fairfield House on 19 September 1938.

Also awarded medal honours at the ceremony for their long-standing dedication to Fairfield House were community leaders Pauline Swaby Wallace, Ras Habakuk, and Ato Kifle Derege.

The commemoration included a special dinner hosted at Fairfield House on the eve of the award ceremony, officiated by Prince Antoine V and attended by family members of Blattengueta Heruy, where Professor Sobers delivered an address titled, ‘10 things I’ve learnt from Fairfield House in relation to Human Rights, people living in exile, and justice’. 

Professor Sobers’ research and public engagement work has helped raise awareness of the life and legacy of Blattengueta Heruy Wolde Selassie, Ethiopia’s former Foreign Minister, historian and author, and of Bath’s historical connections with Ethiopia. His work has included the discovery and restoration of Heruy’s grave in Bath, which was unveiled in 2017 by Prince Michael Makonnen, the grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie, and featured in the documentary ‘Footsteps of the Emperor’ with Benjamin Zephaniah.

Through a series of AHRC-funded projects, Professor Sobers has also organised public and academic events exploring the links between Bath and Ethiopia, including an international symposium on Heruy’s life and a memorial service at Bath Abbey led by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. More recently, he was invited to speak at Heruy’s official reburial ceremony in Ethiopia and is currently producing an immersive 360-degree virtual reality film exploring Heruy’s enduring international legacy.