About me

A glimpse into my story, journey, and personal life.

Author bio

Patrick Nzabonimpa (Tom) is a Rwandan writer, editor, poet, and journalist. His literary works have appeared in Brittle Paper, WSA Magazine, Africa in Dialogue, and several anthologies, including Beans Without Korkor and Other Stories, Threads and Faces: Stories on Identity and Belonging, Twaweza, and Love’s Eternal Tale. He has served as the short story editor for Writers Space Africa (WSA) magazine and was a judge for the African Writers Awards in the short story category in both 2024 and 2025. In 2020, he received the Empower Africa Now award for short fiction. He is also the founder of Writers Space Africa–Rwanda chapter and the pioneer of Umukarago, a literary magazine showcasing Rwandan and Rwanda-based writers. His comic book, Mutoni: The Innovator of Kiruku, was published by Imagine We Rwanda in March 2025, and his debut short story collection, A Thread of Silent Echoes, is forthcoming from Vine Leaves Press (Greece) in April 2026.

His journalism work has been featured in both local and international media, including The New Times (Rwanda), Gospel Times (Rwanda), Nation (Kenya), Bird (across Africa), and The Mirror (Uganda), among others. In October 2023, he was awarded Best Science, Technology, and Innovation Communicator by the Rwanda National Council for Science and Technology. In March 2024, he won the AI Reporting Challenge, organized by GIZ Rwanda and UNESCO East Africa. He was also recognised as Best Story Writer for mental health in an award organised by GAERG in collaboration with Rwanda’s Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion.

My story

I began writing at a young age. By the time I was 12 and in high school, I was crafting essays on pieces of paper, often for assignments. My journey took a turn in 2018 when I connected with Marayika, a poet who later became a friend. Inspired by her poems, I began shaping my own, and writing soon became a passion. In 2019, I wrote my first piece of creative non-fiction, which led to my acceptance into the Pen Pen African Writers Residency, where I honed my craft. I later joined Writers Space Africa, expanding my work to include short stories and children’s literature. This path also led me into journalism, where I wrote for various newspapers, mainly focusing on technology, innovation, and the arts, earning several awards along the way. Today, I work in book writing, editing, and communications.

Personal life

I’m an extroverting introvert who thrives in both creative solitude and lively, but not long, social gatherings. I love performing arts, especially reciting and slamming poetry (don’t expect me to dance though). The second of four siblings, I enjoy cooking for myself and my people, sipping tea like it’s a superpower, and devouring rice dishes that clearly love me back. I read anything that sparks my curiosity and never say no to a deep conversation that might reveal something surprising. I’m passionate about spirituality and psychology in all their dimensions, and I love exploring how they intersect with everyday life.