Until then, I planned to be a physicist. But that poem made me realise art isn’t just a luxury, and I resolved to become a writer

When I took my daughter to work I was criticised, just as I was when I left her at home. In time, I realised my children’s opinions are the only ones that matter

As a former asylum seeker, I knew the difficulties these children would face in the US. First I helped them form a team, then I fought to give them an education

I wanted to heal and thought the Colorado wilderness was the best place to do it. So I began six months of hunting and foraging, with a pile of leaves for a bed

I grew up thousands of miles away, hearing stories of the family bungalow in Kampala and of Idi Amin, the dictator who had driven us out of it. What kind of welcome would I find there?

My penchant for menswear had been treated as a mildly immoral habit when I was growing up. But one night all the shame melted away

My diagnosis meant I couldn’t drive, drink much or stay up late. A disaster for a 17-year-old. But it also showed me what was most important

One morning I couldn’t get out of bed, and the tiredness and weight gain kept getting worse. It was a year of bodily trauma that left psychological as well as physical scars

When I started doing sensory stimulation workshops, I worried that playing music for the group would fall flat. I couldn’t have been more wrong

We were only four weddings into an art project to champion equal rights for LGBTQ+ people. But at least on paper I was able to finish the project – and keep her memory alive

After my mastectomy, my one-breasted body made me feel depressed. But a fleeting comment on a podcast helped renew my pride

For seven years I was a compulsive ‘sharent’, chronicling my daughter’s life on social media. Then she told me how much she hated it …

My disability meant I had never been able to stand or walk. In the water I had found freedom – but it was time to move on

Twenty years after I had last seen her, she sounded warm, funny and clever. I suddenly understood how complicated and fallible we all are

Black Caribbean people born in the UK have a higher chance of schizophrenia, and city life is a factor. So when a chance came to live in Somerset, I leapt at it

A year of rote learning had sucked the joy out of my last days at school. Then came a speech that taught me an unforgettable lesson about curiosity and growth

I was adopted as a baby and was hoping to answer the question of where I’m from. Instead, the trip reminded me of my deep love for my family

Walking Barney opened up a world of spontaneity and sensitivity. And I’ve met so many people …

Locked down in London, I was lonely and underfed. I longed for the communal meals at my Mum and Dad’s home in Delhi, so I embarked on some disastrous and delicious dinners of my own

I found being bald truly distressing. But losing a vital part of my armour for that long year gave me a whole new perspective