People With Albinism - Anthology Contributions & Lived Experience
Albinism Research
Fresh from completing his Masters at the University of Winchester, author M.J.White’s plans for a PhD focusing on an often-demonised section of society has been welcomed by four major organisations.
His thesis, ‘The Evil Albino Trope: The Depiction of Albinism in Modern and Contemporary Fiction’ has been endorsed by the Albinism Fellowship UK & Northern Ireland, Global Albinism Alliance, NOAH (National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, and the African-focused organisation Under the Same Sun).
Albinism is an inherited condition that affects the production of melanin, the pigment that colours the skin, hair and eyes. People with albinism can have very pale skin, almost white hair and eyelashes, and very light-coloured eyes – as a result they have been the subject of discrimination and violence down the ages.
M.J.White, from Andover first came across the condition in his teens when he visited Kenya – albinism is more prevalent in Africa than Europe and other parts of the world.
He recalled his trip when his Masters Course in Creative Writing required him to write a story about someone from a marginalised minority.
“I realised that you almost never see a film or read a book where a person with albinism is shown in a good light,” says White.
Instead, the ‘evil albino’ is a stock villain in fiction epitomised by characters like Silas the psychopathic monk in The Da Vinci Code and The Twins in The Matrix Reloaded.
Such depictions can fuel fear and prejudice, argues Martin.
In some parts of Africa, where albinism affects one in a thousand (compared to one in 17,000 in Europe) superstitions about albinism abound. In Tanzania, persons with albinism are often killed or ostracised, and in Ghana, it is thought that sleeping with a woman with albinism can cure AIDS, and as a result, many women are infected with the virus.
M.J. White attended the recent International Albinism Conference at Lancaster University in 2025, where he met many people with the condition and was moved by their stories. He spoke to Kristina Venning-Rose, an Albinism Fellowship Trustee, who recalled that when she was seven, other children wouldn't hold her hand or play with her.
His thesis will have three parts: an academic study of negative depictions of people with albinism, an anthology of creative work from persons with albinism, and a novel.
M.J. White plans to write an alternative historical horror with a protagonist who has albinism. As many people with the condition have sight problems, he hopes to produce it in large-print, and audio formats.
“I hope my PhD can go some way to stopping other writers using the albinism trope,” says White. “At the moment, young people growing up with albinism only see people like themselves as characters who are evil, deranged or weak.
“As an author, I can give a marginal minority a voice. I see that as far more beneficial than anything else I can get out of writing. Helping to remove a stigma is far more rewarding than any pay cheque.”
For the third part of M.J. White's PhD, he aims to create an anthology of the arts (stories, poems, sketches, paintings, and photography) collected from the international albinism community. This will be published as a book and as an online Ezine.
The anthology aims
To raise awareness of the condition.
Empower unheard and underrepresented voices and give persons with albinism an opportunity to showcase their talents.
Leave a long-lasting legacy and positive impact on the albinism community.
Please scan the flyer for submission details.
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Between September 16 and 17, 2025, M.J. White attended the International Albinism Conference at Lancaster University, which was organised by Professor Charlotte Baker, who has extensively studied albinism.
Prof Charlotte Baker and M.J.White.
M.J. White with Xueli Anne Abbing, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the fight againstracism and discrimination and Chairperson of the Open Eyes Foundation.
Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of rights by persons with albinism at OHCHR.
The Albinism Fellowship UK % Ireland Conference: 7^(th)- 9^(th) of November 2025
M.J. White had the opportunity to attend the Albinism Fellowship UK &Ireland Conference. "Primarily, as a writer of fiction, it is imperative when writing characters that we portray them accurately and take due diligence. Research is paramount, and later, when I come to write the creative element of my PhD, I will look back at this weekend as instrumental in informing, educating, and helping me understand how persons with albinism are portrayed in fiction. The overriding feedback I received was that people want a character who embodies independence, resilience, and identity as a strength. I’m looking forward to returning in two years!"
M.J.White with Kristina Venning-Rose \(Chair of the Albinism Fellowship UK\).
M.J.White and Antoine Gliksohn, Executive Director at Global Albinism Alliance.
Hampshire Writers Society: January 13^(th) 2026
M.J. White was invited to talk about his research at the Hampshire Writers Society. Here you can view a recording of my discussion on YouTube @ authormjwhite He was also was pleased to have come in 3rd place at the 3MT (3 Minute Thesis Competition) at the University of Winchester. "It's not easy to discuss your entire project in 3 minutes. However, the challenge and experience gained were certainly worth it, and it allowed me to share my knowledge of an often demonised condition with an audience of academics. Thank you to everyone who attended, and to the doctoral school, for organising such a worthwhile event." You can watch M.J. White's 3MT on his YouTube channel.
#3MT #ThreeMinuteThesis #PhD #AlbinismAwarness #Albinism
On Saturday, the 9th of May, 2026, I was invited to the Albinism Fellowship Community and Family Event in my home town of Eastleigh. This was extra special because the creative element of my PhD is set in an alternative historical version of Eastleigh, where my protagonist, The Preacher (a person with albinism), begins his adventures! As always, I felt welcome, and I left feeling even more confident about my research into an often misrepresented and demonised condition. It was also great to hear about the excellent work of Dr James Self, a specialist paediatric ophthalmologist at the University of Southampton and to catch up with Kristina and Cristina from the Fellowship. You can find out more about Albinism on Myth Busters, a YouTube podcast with Dr Jay and Kristina.
M.J. White and Dr. Jay Self
M.J. White, Cristina and Kristina
Wonderful day yesterday enjoying #Albinismawarenessday in London with Albinism Fellowship UK & Ireland, Kristina Venning Rose and Cristina Perez Arranz. I had a great time and learnt so much about how people with limited vision traverse city life.
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#Albinismawarenessday \#Albinism \#AlbinismAwarness \#AuthorMJWhite \#PhD \#UniversityofWinchester