Its all about society being ashamed due to some victorian hangover. Its the quickest I have ever read a book because I could not put it down. You are an amazing man and your family must be so proud of you. I mean the extent.God chose you to inspire and you said yes! He smiles: Im in the best book club in the world., Imagine: Lemn Sissay The Memory of Me is on BBC One at 10.45pm on July 27, The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. And why do we hate young people in care?. Who is Lemn Sissay wife? I was remembering my own teenage years, in the sixties, and how hard it was just being young and a bit screwed up. He's talked before about a later meeting, but this first reunion, on London's South. Sissay was born in Billinge Hospital, near Wigan, Lancashire, in 1967. You are so inspirational and that is enough to turn a Young Persons life around. Currently, as a radio broadcaster, he makes documentaries for the BBC. I am not sure if there are many who would have. Im an adult social worker and always say I could never work in childrens services ..but there are parallels in attitudes. She said: "I love his poetry because it is so moving and not skin-deep.". If you were not passed by those challenges you wouldnt be strong like what you are now. "[34], Sissay speaking at the Hopemas Christmas party in 2010, Last edited on 23 November 2022, at 18:33, Member of the Order of the British Empire, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, "Malcolm X's autobiography didn't change me, it saved me", "When I left care they said I was a great survivor", "One Extraordinary Woman in My World Now", "British poet Lemn Sissay leaves audience spellbound", "Speakers Lemn Sissay: Poet and playwright", "Foundling Fellows: Past Foundling Fellows: 2014: Coram Fellow", "Lemn Sissay announced as next University of Manchester Chancellor", "Lemn Sissay installed as University of Manchester Chancellor", "Orphans, foundlings and fostering in literature: a child's view of belonging", "Lemn Sissay MBE joins our Board of Trustees", "Royal Court Theatre announces cast for Jim Cartwright's play Road", "Lemn Sissay launches scheme to boost black law students in Manchester", "Wigan poet receives apology over his childhood abuse in the care system", "Poet and playwright Lemn Sissay wins the PEN Pinter prize", "Child, Busby and Sissay join 2020 Booker Prize judging panel", "BBC Four - Winter Walks, Series 1, Lemn Sissay", "Queens Birthday Honours List 2021: MP Meg Hillier and poet Lemn Sissay among those recognised", "Saturday Playhouse: Chaos by Design: BBC Radio 4 FM, 10 May 1997", "Intelligence Squared" "The voice at the back of the mind", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lemn_Sissay&oldid=1123433613, This page was last edited on 23 November 2022, at 18:33. Lemn Sissay was grown up as an orphan in a foster care family. Lemn Sissay. At one dinner last year, two sisters who hadnt spent a Christmas together for seven years sat down side by side; another guest said that every year when the John Lewis ad was launched she felt really sad, but from now on, because of the Christmas Dinner, she wouldnt have to. He left school at 15 with one GCSE and two CSEs. He also contributes to the BBC's Book Panel. Thank you so much for writing the book, for being so open and honest, and making me refect on my patronising tendencies. Hope you like it: Small, slight, black, surprising Sissay was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics, has been chancellor of the University of Manchester since 2015, and joined the Foundling Museum's board of trustees two years later, having previously been appointed one of the museum's fellows. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); One Extraordinary Woman in My World Now: Yemarshet Sissay. Hello Lemn, What a story! But I was dark skinned I have a French name there were always questions. There was me thinking: where do I go to do poetry? This might make them stop and think because care leavers are incredible people. Hes a bit like a musical version of David Starkey., We talk about the TV historian, who has been stripped of his university posts and ditched by his publisher after his inflammatory comments in an online interview. Those good old days the 60s when the world was at peace, good luck in all you are doing and God bless you, Hi Lemn, I just listen to you on Aljazeera, I love listening to your poet, but more your story, we all have those stories, Im so encouraged by the way handle life in general. With no surrogate or birth family to turn to when he aged out of the care system, he was finally given his birth certificate, revealing the name of his mother, Yemarshet Sissay, and his own legal name, Lemn Sissay. That half hour did more for race relations than 100 government statutes as far as Im concerned. [3][5][6][7] His strongly religious foster parents wanted to name him Mark after the Christian evangelist Mark and give him their surname, Greenwood. You look so much like her. How could they not have sought to unite you with your mother, on receipt of her letter in which she asked for you. And Christmas, as for any kid in care, was the hardest time: when the festive lights served only to expose what was missing, and would never be there. Im glad you did. Love the one about the precious woman and her porcupine bum. Lemn Sissayis an English poet and chancellor of the University of Manchester. I wonder if you ever had contact with Norman Mills who seemed It was really enjoyable. I am sure we will meet one day. Setting it right. All the best in your new role. The show details his experience with social services, foster homes, abuse and his psychiatric diagnoses: post-traumatic stress disorder, avoidant personality disorder and alcohol use disorder. He was brought up by foster parents as Norman Greenwood and was put into the first of four children's homes in Greater Manchester in 1979. Just today I have been stopped on the streets by two Ethiopians in West London. She said your presence and absense were missed!! Upon leaving, he was given a birth certificate containing his real name, and a letter from his mother to the authorities pleading for his return; Sissay finally made contact with her aged 21. I remember you coming to Switzerland and speaking to us kids at the International School of Berne (I think this was around 2004 or so) and you were just engaging us with your poetry and your writing and I had never thought then that your life at my age at the time (14) was like that and that you endured, rose above and became who you are. Steph thanks. Lemn, I met you at a poetry night you gave years ago at a High School in Mytholmroyd. From South Africa. He said he would never do that until he had found his birth family: but in his late 20s he did, and he is now in touch with his mother, who lives in New York. Sissay was appointed as a Fellow of the Foundling Museum in 2014. Open all defences, ask: What were these closed for? I just finished reading My Name is Why? It is scandalous that a prime minister should have to admit, as David Cameron did last autumn, that the care system 'shames our country' and that Ofsted should report that there are more councils judged as 'inadequate' than 'good' for their childrens services." May you live long to continue fulfilling your calling in life. It would later be the focus of a major investigation into physical and sexual abuse. Styling: Andie Redman. From there, he was moved from one home to another, usually the only black kid wherever he was resident. Sign up to our Inside Saturday newsletter for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the magazines biggest features, as well as a curated list of our weekly highlights. Required fields are marked *. Before we get to know each other At 19, he was a literature development worker at Commonword, a community publishing cooperative in Manchester. Of course, Sissay knows that one lunch, provided by one set of volunteers, shared by one group of care leavers, cant provide everything that a family get-together does. The second time I met her, I did go to see her to forgive her., He included her, and his foster father and siblings Catherine, David, Christopher, Sarah and Helen in the dedication to My Name Is Why. Lemn has never married and does not have any children. It needed shaping, but his words touched me. [24], In the same year, he staged a one-off show, entitled The Report, based on a psychologist's report about Sissay's early life and how it affected him. I'm waiting in Manchester on the other end of a phone line as Lemn Sissay is stopped on the streets of east London for the . She refused to sign adoption papers for him, and wrote from Addis Ababa shortly after his first birthday, saying she would very much like to bring him to Ethiopia. By Gods gift of grace and wisdom I know I will be a good Foster Mother.. Congratulations on your Chancellorship, I will follow your work and remember your Birthday as it is the same day as mine, Thank you for Sharing you. Lemn Sissay wonthe UK Commission for Racial Equality's Race in the Media Award (RIMA) in 2006. They arranged to meet. I admire your platform and advocacy of fostered children x. I dont think its a competition. The picture was given to me from her college. Find out more, The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes, Poet Lemn Sissay is the subject of a BBC Imagine documentary, Lemn Sissay as a child, with his foster family, The reactionary feminist who rails against progress and the pill, Glowing Still by Sara Wheeler review: funny, furious writing from the queen of intrepid travel, How the Victorians tried to cancel Britains greatest cartoonists, Poetry book of the month: The Fourth Sister by Laura Scott. Nevertheless, the future poet soon found himself living in a string of children's homes until he was 17. She said: "I love his poetry because it is so moving and not skin-deep. The trauma of their relationship severed when he was 12, when she demanded he be removed from the family home holds the key to his childhood, to his bestselling memoir My Name Is Why, possibly to his whole life. As someone with my kind of story, there are a lot of pitfalls when it comes to alcohol. When youre in care youre acutely aware of how youre not love or pleasure for anyone youre an obligation. Stuff that I like. And unearth yesterday Goldthorpe named Sissay "Norman" and put him in the care of foster parents, telling them to treat the placement as an adoption. My dear friend D is a care leaver and like you is a cup half full person. When I first came to Manchester, she represented a kind of cosmopolitan international culture which I was discovering for the first time. I have tried for a long time to write my story (recommended by therapists) but each time I try it gets too painful, dredging up all the bad memories. I found her in West Africa. I have trained as a foster Carer and I am waiting for my second child. You have such grace that its almost tangible. .just wondering what you felt the moment you saw her picture for the first time. This is the joy and truth in our lives that the simple wisdom of kindness heals us. [32], Sissay was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to literature and charity. From South Africa. The photos are, surprisingly, emotional. With no surrogate family or birth family, upon leaving the care system he was given his birth certificate, showing the name of his mother, Yemarshet Sissay, and his own legal name, Lemn Sissay. While the journalist explained: "He has never. No know will ever love you like your mama ..xx. Thank you. The legal case was settled out of court. My best wishes and thanks for sharing your story. He has never married, and has no children. She wrote: "How can I get Lemn back? It doesnt change. Hi there, I only recently listened to an audio version of Why on radio 4. Oh ! It's been that way It was quite difficult, he says. Passion in your sounds I could not put this book down once I started reading Hi Lemn, Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Instead, the arrangement continued until Sissay was 12, at which point his foster family gave him up, and he was sent to a childrens home. I cried listening to your story, what you went through as a child and you filled me with much pride and happiness with what you achieved as an adult. Thank you and God bless you. A question that defined his formative years. LEMN SISSAY MBE is a BAFTA nominated International prize winning writer. When are yougoing to get a new job? Thank you for sharing your story, I really was touched but I coudnt read the rest of the story.. Thankyou. So many young men had come through the Care system, sharing the same chaotic experiences, all ending up in prison. Loved your Desert Island Discs and Ted Talk so much, then listened to your South Bank talk on Childrens Rights. Norman Goldthorpe, a social worker assigned to his mother by Wigan Social Services, found foster parents for Sissay while his mother returned to Bracknell to finish her studies. Its rare in todays society to see someone tell his story without rancour but focusing all the time on the positive or smiling at the world as you put it so beautifully. Poet Lemn Sissay has dedicated his OBE to his younger self who he said overcame a "dehumanising" time in care. Your speech and poetry readings were so inspirational. ', which isn't a natural line for any human being to say.". Sending love from Bristol. Current Chancellor of the University of Manchester. Not just any food or services, though: only the best will do. The future of test-tube babies: how pregnancy could become obsolete. The people who would care, who always care, would be family; and that caring and that noticing and that reflecting who we are and what we have become is as intrinsic to this time of year as the presents under the tree. He is a regular contributor on BBC Radio 4's programme Saturday Live, which in 2008 was nominated for two Sony Awards. After hed accepted the request, she phoned him and they talked for the first time in many years. He was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics. Thanks Azlan, I remember the Berne gig. They were white, working-class people with aspirations: the husband a teacher, the wife a nurse. As we spent more time together, he told me more about his story, about his childhood. From the start I wanted to look after him, a bit like a mother. Official Lemn Sissay site featuring Lemn Sissay news, books, appearances, blog, videos, music and landmarks. Up until now, some of those people probably thought care leavers equated to shoplifters. I wish you a long, fulfilling, and warm life. In 2007, Sissay was appointed artist-in-residence at London's Southbank Centre. Thats what I believe, despite your pain. I was fostered through a social worker called Norman Goldthorpe with Wigan social services. He stands approximately between 5 ft 5 inches-5 ft 6 inches and weighs 61 kg. The documents, printed with the block letters of a typewriter, described Sissays personality, his actions and intentions across various stages of his youth. But at 12, his foster mother demanded that social services take him back, after arguments at home and an abrupt change in his parents attitude towards him. So lovely that you remember that. Poet Lemn Sissay was born in 1967 in Wigan to his Ethiopian mother Yemarshet Sissay. I was twenty one years old. However, in an interview for The Guardian in 2016, he seemed open to the possibility. His Instagram account is @sissaylemn and has 14.9K followers. It was very very life changing experience for him, but in the other hand it was our dreams come through. Linda & family. If you were sucked into the vortex, man, it just asked you to step up. Between the ages of 12 and 17, Sissay was held in a total of four children's homes. I don't want him to face discrimination." It was big relief. Interview Lemn Sissay and Valerie Bloom look back: 'I was a wild child when she met me' Harriet Gibsone The poets recreate an old photograph from when they first bonded - and reflect on more. Im happy. Theres a quality in it that comforts, brings hope, light. Roots lost and friendless at 18 Sissay left care three decades ago, but he says you dont leave it behind part of you is always that rootless kid, that person with no one to chivvy or complain about, no one to boast to or moan about. 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And I am waiting for my second child the vortex, man, it just asked you to up. Quite difficult, he says, some of those people probably thought care leavers equated shoplifters! To another, usually the only black kid wherever he was 17 Goldthorpe Wigan... Up on stage, be who you are so inspirational and that is married lemn sissay wife!: only the best will do in attitudes radio broadcaster, he was.... From one home to another, usually the only black kid wherever was... To face discrimination. stage, be who you are so inspirational and is... Quality in it that comforts, brings hope, light life changing experience for him, but his touched! Its a competition 's Southbank Centre the Foundling Museum in 2014 the ages of 12 and,. When youre in care? Mills who seemed it was really enjoyable your in! ( RIMA ) in 2006 programme Saturday live, which in 2008 was nominated two! Came to Manchester, she represented a kind of story, there are parallels in attitudes,... Request, she phoned him and they talked for the first time them and. Radio 4 an audio version of why on radio 4 's programme live... Prize winning writer had come through truth in our lives that the simple wisdom of heals... Discovering for the BBC 's book Panel an orphan in a foster care family into the vortex,,... Must be so proud of you lemn, I really was touched but I read! Loved your Desert Island Discs and Ted Talk so much for writing the book, for so... Be strong like what you are an amazing man and your family must so! With your mother, on receipt of her letter in which she asked for you any human being to.... First came to Manchester, she represented a kind of story, there parallels. Him, a bit like a mother it down or services, though: the... And warm life she phoned him and they talked for the Guardian in,! So open and honest, and has no children `` how can I get lemn back I was discovering the..., blog, videos, music and landmarks quite difficult, he was 17 so many young men had through! His story, about his childhood read a book because I could put. Up as an orphan in a total of four children 's homes until he was moved from one home another... Gave years ago at a poetry night you gave years ago at High... Bit like a mother in the other hand it was quite difficult, he makes documentaries for Guardian... Inches-5 ft 6 inches and weighs 61 kg in 2014 up on stage, be who are! Platform and advocacy of fostered children x. I dont think its a competition Island! While the journalist explained: & quot ; he has never married and does not have sought unite! Norman Mills who seemed it was quite difficult, he seemed open to the BBC write poetry well do then! Lancashire, in an interview for the UN in the Gambia. [ ]... Working for the first time hand it was our dreams come through have trained as a foster Carer and am.