Name: A child of the state
Uploaded: 2012-10-24T15:00:52Z
Duration: 15 min
Description: Literature has long been fascinated with fostered, adopted and orphaned children, from Moses to Cinderella to Oliver Twist to Harry Potter. So why do many parentless children feel compelled to hide their pasts? Poet and playwright Lemn Sissay tells his own moving story.

Literature has long been fascinated with fostered, adopted and orphaned children, from Moses to Cinderella to Oliver Twist to Harry Potter. So why do many parentless children feel compelled to hide their pasts? Poet and playwright Lemn Sissay tells his own moving story.

Lemn Sissay: A child of the state

A child of the state

Literature’s fascination with fostered and orphaned characters, from Moses to Harry Potter, reflects deep truths about family.

Surviving care systems, individuals carry tales of resilience, deserving not pity but respect for navigating life's complexities.

Our democracy's strength is mirrored in the treatment of state children, urging a reevaluation of societal and governmental roles.