Meet mandla—A Self-Professed Liar
We spent a day together in Manchester. The cloudy sky threatened rain as we walked throughout the postindustrial city, discussing mandla’s multidisciplinary practice, the collaborative energy of the local queer arts community, the potential of museums, and the realities of citizenship … or lack thereof. Mandla was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in the UK—a seemingly unending journey across continents, histories, and legalities that have shaped the infinitely complex and visceral storyteller who walked beside me. I found myself compelled to ask, “so, Manchester is home? It’s good here?” which mandla eagerly affirmed with “good for now.” Over coffee, we discussed mandla’s expansive practice, which includes poetry, scriptwriting, songwriting, and stage performance, all intertwined and individually profound. mandal: as british as a watermelon, 2022. Language has always been a preoccupation for the artist: mandla received a degree in English literature and creative writing from the University of Westminster, and has been writing since adolescence. She speaks multiple languages, including English and sleight of hand. Speaking English is more than simply learning grammatical rules and …