Stella Nyanzi

"Codes of politeness demand that colonized, dominated, and subjugated peoples do not talk back to their captors, colonizers or oppressors. Politeness blunts the tongue of criticism, ridicule, satire or irony. On the other hand, radical rudeness breaks down the doors to the arsenal of verbal, literary, and linguistic devices available to launch a counterattack against corrupt militant brutes in government who use bullets, prison sentences, and mass graves to silence their opponents."

"In my experience, there is much greater currency and power in my deployment of irreverent idioms of satire, mockery, and ridicule of oppressive power."

"Double standards demand that feminine respectability bars women from articulating, writing, or deploying words, concepts, and ideas deemed to be taboo subjects."

"In fact, as expressed in one of my poems written in prison, I wear my prison sentence for poetry as a badge of honor."

"Good girls and respectable women are trained to avoid taboo topics and “bad words” particularly in their public articulations."

"I think if I weren’t a mother, I probably wouldn’t do at least ¾ of the activism I’ve done."

"Now, I am sure the poor woman in her grave… is shocked every time I perform my own version of womanhood and femininity"

"Custody and punishment for writing freed me of the fear I previously held of being imprisoned. Physical and emotional torture during my two terms in prison radicalized me in unexpected ways."

"I think it is very liberating to embrace the many forms of motherhood in all its diversity. We must not be trapped by homogenous ideas of motherhood"

"In a way, motherhood keeps me very grounded."

"I fled to get my voice back. I fled to get my mind back. I fled to get my freedom back."

"My multiple identities empower me to fashion my writing into an effective weapon fighting against injustices meted out by holders of abusive power onto underprivileged groups in society."