1. Lemn Sissay FRSL was born on 21 May 1967 and is a British author and broadcaster.
24 Facts About Lemn Sissay
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Lemn Sissay was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics, was chancellor of the University of Manchester from 2015 until 2022, and joined the Foundling Museum's board of trustees two years later, having previously been appointed one of the museum's fellows.
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Lemn Sissay has written a number of books and plays.
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Lemn Sissay's birth father, Giddey Estifanos, was a pilot for Ethiopian Airlines, who died in a plane crash in 1972.
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Lemn Sissay was born in Billinge Hospital, Wigan, Lancashire, in 1967.
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Between the ages of 12 and 17, Lemn Sissay was held in a total of four children's homes.
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Lemn Sissay was given a letter from his files, dated 1968, written by his mother to Norman Goldthorpe, pleading for her son's return.
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At the age of 17, Lemn Sissay used his unemployment benefit money to self-publish his first poetry pamphlet, Perceptions of the Pen, which he sold to striking miners in Lancashire.
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Lemn Sissay met his birth mother when he was 21, after a long search.
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Lemn Sissay was working for the United Nations in the Gambia.
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Lemn Sissay released his first book of poetry in 1988 at the age of 21, and since the age of 24 he has been a full-time writer, performing internationally.
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In 2007, Lemn Sissay was appointed artist-in-residence at London's Southbank Centre.
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Lemn Sissay was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics, has worked with the British Council and is a patron of the Letterbox Club, supporting children in care.
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Lemn Sissay's work has featured at the Royal Academy and the British Film Institute.
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Lemn Sissay was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Huddersfield in 2009 and was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2010 New Year Honours.
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In 2014 Lemn Sissay was appointed as a Fellow of the Foundling Museum.
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Lemn Sissay is a regular contributor on BBC Radio 4's programme Saturday Live, which in 2008 was nominated for two Sony Awards.
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In June 2015, Lemn Sissay was elected as chancellor of the University of Manchester for a seven-year term by university staff, registered alumni and members of the General Assembly.
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In September 2017, Lemn Sissay used his position as chancellor of the University of Manchester to launch a new bursary with the purpose of increasing the numbers of black men taking up careers in law and criminal justice.
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Lemn Sissay brought a case against Wigan Council that was settled in 2018 with a six-figure payout and a formal apology to Sissay for the treatment he suffered when in care.
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In January 2020, Lemn Sissay joined the Booker Prize judging panel, alongside Margaret Busby, Lee Child, Sameer Rahim and Emily Wilson.
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In May 2021, Lemn Sissay appeared on BBC One's Have I Got News for You, hosted by Romesh Ranganathan, alongside fellow panellists Ian Hislop, Paul Merton and Jo Brand.
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Lemn Sissay was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to literature and charity.
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In October 2023, Lemn Sissay participated in Series 7, Week 5 of Richard Osman's House of Games.