Lemn Sissay: My Name is Why

Best of the Emirates LitFest

12-10-2021 • 1 hr 8 mins

Lemn Sissay knows more than most what it takes to change the story. Until he was seventeen he didn’t even know his real name, having been brought up in a succession of foster families and care homes against his mother’s wishes. In his memoir My Name is Why, the award-winning writer and poet tells the story of his fight for justice and finding hope and creativity while caught in an uncaring and dangerous bureaucracy. In this wide-ranging and inspiring conversation, Lemn reflects on the response to his powerful book, his writing life and his discoveries about life and culture in difficult times.

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