Category: Lives

The river was deep and unpredictable, and infested with crocodilesI live in Samburu, in northern Kenya, but I was raised even farther north, on the border of Ethiopia. Where I grew up, there were elephants living in the wild. I...

I’ll use any tools I can find. At a friend’s, I used coal and chicken bonesWhen I was at school, I hated art. Growing up in north Wales, I was not able to scrape higher than an E in my final exams. I wasn’t too bothered; I...

We were sinking fast. I sat on deck, watching for help, preparing for deathI was 20 when, having grown up in Birmingham and dropped out of university, I wanted an adventure. I bought a plane ticket to the Canary Islands and,...

When I see our wedding photos, it’s like looking at someone else’sOne cold, crisp evening in February 2016, I went on a white-water kayaking course in Hertfordshire. I’d had lessons, but I was still a beginner and my skills...

I felt dazed. Next came the smell of singed flesh – my arm was burningOn 5 September this year, I was at home in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, playing a game on my PlayStation, in which you are a stray cat exploring a city. I didn’t...

I tested one by hitting it against a wall – the wall took the damageI was born with Poland syndrome, a disease that prevented the formation of my right arm and pectoral muscles. I was bullied at school. People said things like,...

I had to keep the pumpkin upright, steady on bends and away from obstaclesI’ve always had a knack for growing big fruit and vegetables, and my tomatoes, squashes and peppers regularly win prizes at the Otoe County Fair near my...

We walked into a Parkinson’s support group and the smell hit me – it was overwhelmingWhen I was six, I embarrassed a boy in class by putting my hand up and telling the teacher he’d wet himself. He sat two rows behind me but I’d...

Normally in facial reconstructive surgery they use the working bones as support, but in my case there weren’t anyLast year, I was enrolled on a master’s course in computer software engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in...

I had glass shards stuck in my face. I was in so much shock I could barely feel painI’ve worn sunglasses ever since I was a little girl, regularly going shopping with my mom for new pairs. After splurging on some gorgeous large...

All we want is to preserve our land. Our enemies want us deadMy family have lived in our indigenous territory for generations; the Maranhão region of northern Brazil is my ancestral home. For centuries, across 400,000 hectares...

I didn’t know if it belonged to a murder victim. I had to report itIt was a lovely midweek morning last September. I’m a keen rower and I go out on the Thames with my club as often as I can. The river is usually murky and grey,...