Afäwarq Gäbrä Iyäsus (Amharic: አፈወርቅ ገብረ ኢየሱስ, romanized: āfewerik’i gebire īyesusi; spelled in Italian: Afevork Ghevre Jesus or Āfeworq Gebre Īyesūs; spelled in English Afewark Gebre Iyasus; 10 July 1868 – 25 September 1947) was an Ethiopian writer, who wrote the first novel in Amharic, Ləbb Wälläd Tarik (A Heart [better “Intellect”]-born Story), (Italian: Libb Wolled Tarik).

He received a traditional education from the church of Ura Kidana Mehrat under the direction of his grandfather Manher Denqe, whom Bahru Zewde describes as "a noted scholar."

Afäwarq left for Italy in September 1887, and was admitted to the International Institute in Milan, where he attended classes in painting at the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts.

These included work on Amharic grammar, an Italian-Amharic conversation manual, the satirical Guide du voyageur, and the novel Ləbb Wälläd Tarik.

He was appointed charge d'affairs in Rome for the Ethiopian government, a position for which Bahru Zewde notes that due to "his known predilection for the Italians and his record of treason" he might not have made him the best candidate.

Bahru however goes on to quote the American representative in Ethiopia, Addison E. Southard, who observed that Haile Selassie wanted "to get rid of Afäwarq locally who has the reputation for being an obstreperous and fire-eating old gentleman with potentialities for stirring ...

"[10] Regardless of his deeper allegiances, Afäwarq found himself in a difficult situation, being forced to rely on the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send his telegrams home.