Mugabi Byenkya

Ali Rizvi [ Author + Poet + Playwright ]

Mugabi Byenkya is an award-winning writer, poet and occasional rapper. He was born in Nigeria, to Ugandan parents and is currently based between Kampala and Toronto.

Mugabi was longlisted for the Babishai Niwe Poetry Award in 2015. His essays and poetry have been published in The Good Men Project, The Mighty, and Arts and Africa, along over 20 other publications. He has been interviewed on Voice of America, NTV Uganda, and Brittle Paper, along over 20 other media outlets.

Mugabi’s writing is used to teach international high school English reading comprehension. His debut experimental epistolary speculative novel, ‘Dear Philomena,’ was published in 2017 and he recently concluded a 43 city, 5 country North America/East Africa tour in support of this.

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. Dear Philomena, was named a Ugandan bestseller in the same year.

In 2019, Mugabi was selected out of hundreds as one of ten emerging theater artists in bcHUB’s Emerging Artists Ensemble 2019/2020. In the same year, he was named out of hundreds as one of three finalists to be Realwheels Playwright-In-Residence and the recipient of the inagaural Realwheels Encouragement Award.

Mugabi wants to be Jaden Smith when he grows up.

Source: https://www.mugabibyenkya.com