Lemn Sissay

Lemn Sissay (born 21st may 1967) is a British and Ethiopian poet, playwright, memoirist and broadcaster. He is a number one Sunday Times best selling author for his memoir My Name is Why, a Sunday Times best Seller for his book of poetry Let The Light Pour in and a Sunday Times Best Seller for Hold Still whihche co edited with The princess of Wales. Alongside a few people he was offered and accepted The Freedom of The City of London. His adaptation of Benjamin Zephaniah’s Refugee boy is a choice text on the National Curriculum. He was chancellor of University of Manchester from 2015 to 2022 and official poet of the london olympics 2012.

Lemn was awarded the Pen Pinter Prize in 2022 and the Hay Medal for poetry in 2024. His television documentaries have been nominated for Grierson BAFTA and RTS awards. His work in radio has been nominated for Sony and Palm D’Ors. He has performed on stages throughout the world from The Library of Congress in The United States to the National Theatre of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, from The Opera House in Dubai to The London Paladium. His landmark poems in public spaces have been permanently placed on walls throughout the world. For other uses, see related topics.