This Volatile Body: Mugabi Byenkya

Episode 54

Mugabi Byenkya is an award- winning writer who was born to Ugandan parents in Nigeria and is currently based in Kampala.

Mugabi Byenkya is an award- winning writer who was born to Ugandan parents in Nigeria and is currently based in Kampala. Mugabi lives outside the gender binary and has a seizure disorder, chronic fatigue and experiences the world in a way that some would describe as “neurodivergent.” In 2018, Mugabi was named one of 56 writers who has contributed to his native Uganda’s literary heritage in the 56 years since independence by Writivism (East Africa’s largest literary festival). Mugabi wants to be Jaden Smith when he grows up.

In this interview we cover so many topics including the distraction of reading comics while bed-bound, falling in love with writing, identifying access needs as someone with a seizure disorder, chronic fatigue and other health conditions, living in a volatile body, toxic masculinity, why Cambodia has infrastructure that makes it a good place to have a physical disability, why haircuts can be painful for folks with sensory sensitivities, keeping a secret blog, racism in the American healthcare system and learning how to mask disability.

https://www.mugabibyenkya.com/

@mugabs on IG and

@mugabsb on twitter