Lemn Sissay

Lemn Sissay’s traumatic childhood has informed much of the work he has created. Ripped away from his Ethiopian mother in infancy, he endured over a decade of mistreatment and wilful cruelty in the British care system. The heartache and anger of his youth alternate in his poetry with lighter, whimsical aphorisms and celebrations of place, particularly his beloved Manchester. A restless polymath – poet, playwright, musician, producer, stand-up comedian – he tours relentlessly, bringing his distinctive brand of performance poetry to the nation. He is author of five collections of poetry as well as numerous stage and radio plays and has cemented his reputation as an urgent yet compassionate voice in British cultural life.