Mary Ongwen was born in Kampala, Uganda. Growing up, she spent many school holidays in Soroti, Teso, her parents’ hometown in eastern Uganda.  She listened to cautionary tales and cultural beliefs shared by elders and family members, sparking in her a rich imagination and a desire to write stories. Writing conversations she heard and situations she observed in stories and poems was her way of understanding the world.

When Mary relocated with her family to the United States, she spent many hours writing her reflections on nature, culture, people, community, faith, belonging, home and love. She started a blog about her experiences and this rekindled her passion for engaging, approachable storytelling.

Her personal essays have appeared in The New Vision, Uganda’s leading daily newspaper.

Mary has a degree in Literature and Sociology from Makerere University and is pursuing a Master’s in Writing from Johns Hopkins University. She is also a budding photographer. She has participated in three photo exhibitions with the International Photography Society (IPS), the IMF-World Bank photography club and served on the executive counsel as the communications coordinator.

She had a long-distance relationship with a guy she had only met twice before he left to study in the United States. For three years they exchanged letters through snail mail (before the internet and email was a thing). Today she lives in Maryland with the guy, now her husband. They have two children and Blacke the cat. The commitment and interest in the written word worked.