Lemn Sissay

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My Final 13 days as Chancellor of The University of Manchester

On Monday 18th July at 9am this photograph was taken inside The Rylands Institute & Library. We are a diverse creative powerhouse from Manchester & North West England.

This is University of Manchester’s Whitworth hall

11.40am in The Queens Room.

In the corridor outside the Queens room before entering the Whitworth Hall: lecturers, Deans and Department Heads.

The corridor looks wider in this shot but it is the same one.

It is 35 degrees. The hottest day of the year so far. The procession starts

We enter the hallway and walk towards the stage

Live Stream Ceremony Timings:

The ceremonies ran from 18th to 22nd July. I preside over two per day. Here are the details: The University of Manchester - Graduations 18th July 2022 - YouTube Ceremonies start with Chancellor’s speech at c4:38:55 and 8:39:31. The University of Manchester Graduations 19th July 2022 - YouTube - Ceremonies start with Chancellor’s speech at c4:08:48 and 8:10:00. The University of Manchester - Graduations Live Stream 20th July 2022 - YouTube  - Ceremonies start with Chancellor’s speech at c3:03:11 and c6:55:39. The University of Manchester - Graduations Live Stream 21st July 2022 - YouTube - Ceremonies start with Chancellor’s speech at c1:40:58 and 5:44:09. The University of Manchester - Graduations Live Stream 22nd July 2022 - YouTube  - Ceremonies start with Chancellor’s speech at c3:56:40 and 8:05:35. The example below is The University of Manchester Graduations 19th July 2022 - YouTube - Ceremonies start with Chancellor’s speech at at c4:08:48 and 8:10:00..

John McAuliffe is co-director of the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester Director. He presented me with an inkwell from The University of Manchester. It’s an extraordinary gift which I will treasure.

I deliver the final degree ceremony at 4pm on Friday 22nd July. Thank you to @Ben_Paulden for this photo.

My time as chancellor officially ends in seven days. On 24th July The Observer New Review.

features 8 pages on these incredible people. In this video we applaud photographer Suki Dhanda.

Monday 25th July the winner of University of Manchester’s micropoetry competition is announced. The subject is ‘climate change’. There were many entries. This is the winning piece for a prize of £1,000

On 27th July Team GB launch my poem “In The Seventh Month”, read by Olympic medallist Lutalo Muhammad.

Three days later the minute hand passes midnight from 31st July into 1st August. My tenure as Chancellor is over. After seven years. I am honoured to precede this great man. I remain committed to a university whose knowledge wisdom and humanity is exemplified in the new chancellor Nazir Afzal OBE and president Nancy Rothwell.

I am grateful. None of what is here would be possible without the care and hard work of others.