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Books they read with Benjamin Axel Mugema
The author Benjamin Axel Mugema
What makes you appreciate books?
The possibility of discovering more of myself in a character through books intrigues me. However, what I appreciate most is the fact that whenever I am reading a good book, I am able to shut out the rest of the world and its problems and be content and comfortable in the world of the book.
What kind of stories appeal to you?
Stories with strong, resilient characters that suffer terrible ordeals but remain rooted in their beliefs like Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. Lately though, I have developed interest in untold stories like mental health, sexual abuse and psychoanalysis because I feel that they help me to understand myself better.
What are your favourite books?
Desertion by Abdulrazak Gurnah is a story spanning three generations, a story of time and change and culture. It is the kind of book I would want to write. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie presents strong resolute in younger characters, and it appealed to me in a personal way.
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna and Reading the Ceiling by Dayo Forster are the ‘undiscovered’ gems in African writing.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Marquez is such a lengthy and difficult read it challenges me greatly to rethink the way I write, my style, and to reposition the kind of influence I want my stories to have. One of the best books I ever read really.
Which character do you admire?
For some reason, I still admire Ugwu in Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr. Rieux in Albert Camus’ The Plague.
However, by far, Mariam in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini for me embodies the strength, emotional honesty, humility and a certain naivety that I seek to find in characters.
Which Ugandan books have you read?
Moses Isegawa’s Abyssinian Chronicles was a very profound and insightful book on Ugandan history. I found Doreen Baingana’s Tropical Fish and Glaydah Namukasa’s The Deadly Ambition to be some sort of trend-setters for contemporary Ugandan fiction and perhaps the novel way in which a lot of Ugandan writing will be crafted. Jambula Tree by Monica Arac de Nyeko stood out as a very special Short story for me because it dealt with a subject that I am particularly wary of due to past experience and so it felt important for me to read it. I read Butterfly Dreams by Beatrice Lamwaka and I felt attached to the story because of personal experiences in war. I am also interested in contemporary writing from the likes of Lloyd Lutara, Jackee Batanda and Davina Kawuma. However, I am yet to find the definitive 21st century African story/novel.
Which books are you reading?
I am currently reading Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables and Emile Zola’s Paris both of which I find strangely tiring but nevertheless useful. I would love to re-read The Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong.
