Abstract
Bodily autonomy is hard-won in this powerful essay on cultural expectations, masculinity and the trauma of childhood abuse—a winner of the KYD Creative Non-Fiction Prize 2025.
Anchored in the Arabic concept of wejbet—an inherited duty of hospitality and politeness—this exploratory essay addresses how cultural obligation has collided with my lived experience of touch, consent, and desire. Moving through assault, sex, bodybuilding, and the charged spaces of gyms, clubs, and clinics, the essay interrogates masculinity, race, queerness, and the shifting ownership of my body. Memories and histories intertwine to reveal a study of survival, sensuality, and my pursuit of autonomy within an economy of endless touch.
Anchored in the Arabic concept of wejbet—an inherited duty of hospitality and politeness—this exploratory essay addresses how cultural obligation has collided with my lived experience of touch, consent, and desire. Moving through assault, sex, bodybuilding, and the charged spaces of gyms, clubs, and clinics, the essay interrogates masculinity, race, queerness, and the shifting ownership of my body. Memories and histories intertwine to reveal a study of survival, sensuality, and my pursuit of autonomy within an economy of endless touch.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Online |
| Publisher | Kill Your Darlings |
| Publication status | Published - 24 Nov 2025 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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