Happy Place Lemn Sissay: Foster care, belonging, and snake charming
Apr 1, 2024
Lemn Sissay, poet and advocate for redefining identities, discusses the importance of not comparing trauma, the reality of the care system in the UK, and practical ways to help care leavers integrate into society. He explores the true feeling of belonging and how to combat negative voices. Host Fearne and Lemn share a heartfelt exchange on writing and poetry, promoting empathy and self-awareness.
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Childhood Innocence
- Lemn Sissay recalls his joyful childhood, believing the world revolved around him and his happiness.
- He felt that everyone smiled and he was given extra sweets, illustrating his innocent perception of the world.
Family Memory and Identity
- Sissay emphasizes the importance of shared family memories in shaping identity, something he lacked due to his time in care.
- This absence motivated him to retrieve his government files to understand his childhood better.
Placement in Foster Care
- Sissay's mother, pregnant while studying, was placed in a mother and baby home, a common practice at the time.
- Despite wanting temporary foster care, Sissay was placed with foster parents under the guise of adoption.