Lemn Sissay: Foster care, belonging, and snake charming
Happy Place1 Apr 2024

Lemn Sissay: Foster care, belonging, and snake charming

“Am I mad, or did it happen?” This is a question that poet Lemn Sissay regularly finds himself asking. Having grown up in care, he has no family members to bear witness to his life experiences; is his understanding of his own identity correct?

In this chat with Fearne, Lemn talks through why it’s important for us not to compare trauma, that everything’s relative, and no one deserves more or less empathy. He also exposes the reality of the care system in the UK, and offers practical ways for all of us to help those who’ve been in care better integrate into society.

Between them, they suggest how to watch out for when you’re performing to a crowd, rather than being present – that’s where a true feeling of belonging lies – and how to mitigate the negative voices that want to knock your confidence.

Lemn’s latest poetry collection is Let the Light Pour In and his memoir is My Name Is Why. Both are published by Canongate.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(427)

Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl

There’s adventure in not knowing what comes next, and having the confidence to throw yourself in anyway. Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl has spent a lifetime doing just that. In this chat with Fearn...

4 Okt 202137min

Paul Merson

Paul Merson

Gambling addictions are not well understood; former footballer Paul Merson is hoping to change that by sharing his own story. In this chat with Fearne, Paul explains why his having a gambling addictio...

27 Sep 202157min

Miriam Margolyes

Miriam Margolyes

You are the sum of everyone who’s come before you in your family, and it can be useful to learn about your ancestors in order to understand how much of their character is in you. Actress Miriam Margol...

20 Sep 202143min

David Harewood

David Harewood

Psychosis is very rarely talked about, even within spaces dedicated to mental health. Actor David Harewood had an episode that saw him sectioned at 23 years old, and wonders that psychosis is still se...

13 Sep 202157min

Joe Sugg

Joe Sugg

We often write ourselves a story about the type of person we are, and the things we can do with our lives, but YouTuber, actor, and singer Joe Sugg doesn’t like to put limits on what he can achieve. I...

6 Sep 202156min

Christian O'Connell

Christian O'Connell

The concept of a mid-life crisis has become a funny cliché, and that’s what Christian O’Connell jokingly told people he was having when he left his successful radio career in the UK to start a new lif...

30 Aug 202155min

Ashley Cain

Ashley Cain

In April 2021, Ashley Cain’s eight month old daughter Azaylia Diamond Cain passed away. At eight weeks old she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia; Ashley and his partner Safiyya c...

27 Aug 20211h 2min

Frankie Bridge

Frankie Bridge

Becoming a parent will have its highs and lows for everyone, but Frankie Bridge became a mum knowing she already had existing mental health issues to contend with too. In this chat with Fearne, Franki...

23 Aug 202156min

Populärt inom Samhälle & Kultur

podme-dokumentar
aftonbladet-krim
gynning-berg
p3-dokumentar
svenska-fall
mardromsgasten
en-mork-historia
skaringer-nessvold
rss-expressen-dok
killradet
creepypodden-med-jack-werner
kod-katastrof
flashback-forever
hor-har
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rattsfallen
badfluence
historiska-brott
aftonbladet-daily
spar