“My Name is Why” by Lemn Sissay

This short childhood memoir is moving, powerful, interesting and thought-provoking in equal measure, as well as being superbly written. The audio version is outstandingly good. Lemn Sissay is a poet of about my vintage. He was born in the 1960s in Wigan, the son of an Ethiopian mother and a Greek father and the product, it would seem, of an unfortunate liaison resulting in an unwanted pregnancy. He was given up for fostering a few weeks after he was born and grew up under the supervision of social workers in the Atherton / Leigh area of Greater Manchester that I know well. Things started well for him. Until he was twelve – by his own account - he thrived living with a foster family in a loving and supportive environment. Then things started to go wrong. We only get his perspective, of course, and he is perhaps a little too keen to dismiss his sometimes violent behaviour towards his younger brother as part of normal scrapping that all brothers engage in. I certainly never did. But he fell out one way or another with his foster family and was removed to a children’s home. His behaviour caused problems there too, so he was moved to another and then, finally, to a secure unit that sounds absolutely horrendous. Ultimately though things sorted themselves out and he turned into the highly impressive adult he has become.

What makes this memoir different from others of its ilk is that his narrative is interspersed verbatim with copies of letters and reports about him written by the social workers, carers and other borough officials who took responsibility for his upbringing. One in particular, Norman Mills, was a terrifically impressive character and features heavily in the story.

It is one of those books I was really sorry to get to the end of. A sequel would be great to read, as I understand that Lemn Sissay did go on to meet his mother in Ethiopia and some of his half siblings on his father’s side. Members of my reading group also recommend his Desert Island Discs interview, so I will now listen to that.

Overall this one is highly recommended. It s beautifully written and structured. And the mystery title ‘My Name is Why’ is only explained right at the end.