Have you read My Name is Why?

Vanessa Dove, Team Manager at Adopt South West shares her review of My Name is Why by Lemn Sissay.

“Lemn Sissay is a poet, author and broadcaster. He advocates for children in the local authority’s care and is involved in organisations concerning their welfare. My Name Is Why is an honest, powerful and inspirational portrayal of Lemn Sissay’s thoughts and reflections on his experiences of the care system. Included within the book are poems which describe the resilience and determination that he needed in order to recover from his traumatic experiences and become the person he is today.

“As a practitioner working in social care I found this book difficult and harrowing to read at times, as Lemn talks about how the care system failed him and led him to become invisible, forgotten and at times lost. Much of the system has changed in the last 40 years thankfully, however, this is a powerful reminder of the importance of life story work and working in a child centred way – ensuring that the child is at the heart of everything you do.

“I will carry this book with me forever and it will continue to shape the work that I do with children and families.”