I was so moved by the power of his poetry. The people who would care, who always care, would be family; and that caring and that noticing and that reflecting who we are and what we have become is as intrinsic to this time of year as the presents under the tree. "To be able to call the UNDP where my mother had worked for some years and to ask her'are you my mother? I am eager to know whether you got your mother. Interview Lemn Sissay and Valerie Bloom look back: 'I was a wild child when she met me' Harriet Gibsone The poets recreate an old photograph from when they first bonded - and reflect on more. This good fortune shaped my future, perhaps also it blocked some other futures, and that seems all right at the moment. I ask him about that meeting when we talk on a windy day in July. Poet Lemn Sissay talks to Chris Harvey about surviving rejection from his foster family. However brilliant your relationship with your social worker is, for them its a job. Similar story identical confusions You have every right to be bitter and angry but appear not to be. The much-loved British and Ethiopian poet, playwright, broadcaster and speaker, Lemn Sissay MBE is Brighton Festival's Guest Director in 2020. It is a sad reflection on our society that we dont take care of the most vulnerable. She was twenty one. So that we can prepare our joint grave Norman Goldthorpe, a social worker assigned to his mother by Wigan Social Services, found foster parents for Sissay while his mother returned to Bracknell to finish her studies. Marks & Spencer has just agreed to give us the food, and there will be conversations happening there about what it means to be a young person in care. It was the beginning of a paper trail.. You are a born story teller. May many see or hear about you, learn from you, follow your example and take inspiration from you. In June 2015, Sissay was elected as chancellor of the University of Manchester for a seven-year term. He was brought up by foster parents as Norman Greenwood and was put into the first of four children's homes in Greater Manchester in 1979. His 2005 drama Something Dark deals with his search for his family, and was adapted for BBC Radio 3 in 2006, winning the UK Commission for Racial Equality's Race in the Media Award (RIMA). I agree very much that is best to let go of everything and give our energy instead to all that is loving and positive in our life right now. Growing up we all know about him, she never hided, for him though it is hard to adjust his life now with his own family. In April 2017, Sissay joined the Foundling Museum's board of trustees. But so you should, and so we all should be able to. From the start I wanted to look after him, a bit like a mother. The future of test-tube babies: how pregnancy could become obsolete. And sing for tomorrow A few minutes ago I asked the socially distanced audience in Dubai to take photographs of the live event and post to twitter so I could see them in Dubai with myself in London all in the same place! In the meantime, Sissay began writing poetry and was quick to establish himself as an up-and-coming name in the UK literary scene. However, in an interview for The Guardian in 2016, he seemed open to the possibility. If you had gone to my 17-year-old self and said: 'In 2021 the Queen's going to give you [an honour], I would have said: 'No way.' Sissay's mother arrived in England from Ethiopia in 1966. Your truths are enlightening. He said he would never do that until he had found his birth family: but in his late 20s he did, and he is now in touch with his mother, who lives in New York. Your mass of curly hair like a halo Such a lovely heart warming story. I can get by on very little, but without that very little I would never have got by. This obsession with mother/child relations is interesting too: I see some men in my life who are much less obsessed by this area of life. And its about the future, too. [12][13][14] Sissay was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Huddersfield in 2009 and was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours. Sissay compiled the documents he retrieved from the Wigan social services in a 2019 memoir My Name is Why, which also features his observations on child care as well as his poetry. And regardless of family history we all deserve Your story is so inspirational and uplifting. In the Eighties, the city was a hotbed of creativity, in music, theatre, comedy. I worked at a prison in the Education Dept. With no surrogate or birth family to turn to when he aged out of the care system, he was finally given his birth certificate, revealing the name of his mother, Yemarshet Sissay, and his own legal name, Lemn Sissay. By writing my book I wasnt asking Just today I have been stopped on the streets by two Ethiopians in West London. For this the person to write to is Nicky Wake. Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL (born 21 May 1967) [1] is a British author and broadcaster. I could not put this book down once I started reading At 55 years old, Lemn Sissay height not available right now. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Carole, my book exposes a system which devalues the greatest asset to any generation the next one. That was really heartbreaking, actually. Hi there, I only recently listened to an audio version of Why on radio 4. Just heard your amazing, uplifting story on DID. Im glad you did. And your mothers smile is lovely. I listened about story on the radio in Addis Ababa. They were white, working-class people with aspirations: the husband a teacher, the wife a nurse. In other words the last time she saw him was at my conception a shock for her. Christmas, says the poetLemn Sissay, divides the world into two sorts of people. Valerie and I are from different places shes from the Caribbean and Im from Lancashire. More than three decades later his love of the city remains undimmed as his glittering career has seen him produce books, plays and poetry, become a familiar face on our TV screens and take on a number . I am sooooooo proud of you! As a child, I had no family who were of colour. Unsurprisingly, Sissay says he clearly remembers that day in 1988 when he first spoke to his mother. It is scandalous that a prime minister should have to admit, as David Cameron did last autumn, that the care system 'shames our country' and that Ofsted should report that there are more councils judged as 'inadequate' than 'good' for their childrens services." Blooms Christopher Brown: Accidental Detective is out in July. It makes me very happy to know you and I will read your book My name is WHY? With such a life story you could give some support for Pro-Life Organisations Preserving Rights of Unborn, now-a-days termination of pregnancy is shown as sth good especially in media, best regsrds. Especially your examples of the case recording resonated. The poet grew up in childrens homes and never knew a real Christmas. Your life will be complete when you become a dad. He was rootless; an unwanted parcel. He asked many questions about your life. When I first came to Manchester, she represented a kind of cosmopolitan international culture which I was discovering for the first time. Over the weekend, black British author, poet and playwright Lemn Sissay did his nation and the black community proud by picking up the very prestigious 2019 Pen Pinter. And I am so glad you kept your birth name (Lemn Sisay) it is a beautiful name for a beautiful human being. Only the service has changed. He is a regular contributor on BBC Radio 4's programme Saturday Live, which in 2008 was nominated for two Sony Awards. I first saw the picture when I was twenty one. He says hes not comfortable in suits, but hes settling into the role so beautifully. I admire your platform and advocacy of fostered children x. I dont think its a competition. I was at the BBC Radio Theatre last evening, listening to your Origin Stories being recorded. You are an inspiration to all young people from all walks of life wherever they are in this world. I plan to get to know your work. Who were you you asked but one thing you knew you were a poet When you all meet it is the beginning of the journey no the end. Born in 1967, Sissay was the child of an Ethiopian mother who was forced to give up her son against her will; he was fostered by a white couple from Lancashire who sent him back into care aged 12. the laboratory - open the book, open the challenge, with open eyes. I've seen the poets - I have a series on Radio 4 at the moment about rebel poets. We neeed more & more people to speak out about our uk care system and the kids that are in it they are HUMAN they have feelings we have hearts To start with, the arrangement worked. No telephone calls. Do you know the worst thing they said to me, the people who were in charge, when I was in care? Live loud and proud my friend .. you inspire and have the power to make the establishment take notice. And unearth yesterday As someone with my kind of story, there are a lot of pitfalls when it comes to alcohol. I mean the extent.God chose you to inspire and you said yes! He was awarded an MBE for services to literature by The Queen of England, The Pen Pinter Prize and a Points of Light Award from The Prime Minister. Your life experiences and the way you turned your adversities into strength is aptly summed in a Yoruba proverb that says Adaniloro fagbara koni meaning those who treat us with wickedness strengthens us. Dear Lemn Your eyes bright and shining She asked for him to be fostered while she finished her studies. A post shared by Sissay Lemn (@sissaylemn) As a poet, I now travel all across Britain. In 2015, Sissay became the patron of ALL FM 96.9 Community Radio in Manchester, and he said: "I've always loved All Fm, partly because it's such diverse radio (with shows in Urdu, Polish, Somali, Persian, Cantonese and more), but also because it played 'Architecture' (Bertallot & Mo-Dus Remix), which I'd lost and the All Fm DJ sent me a copy." His name is Lemn and he has written a little booklet, and has a manuscript and wants to have it published. I told her to send him in. I also hope I get to meet you one day and give you one of the hugs I give to my dad.Xx. He is a regular contributor on BBC Radio 4's program Saturday Live. At the age of 17, Sissay used his unemployment benefit money to self-publish his first poetry pamphlet, Perceptions of the Pen, which he sold to striking miners in Lancashire. I strongly believe that you are truly a gift to the world by the creator and your early life experiences was part of the journey of manifestation of that gift; you could never have been you without those horrible experiences. Food for thought for the day, a beautiful message of generosity, dignity, forgiveness, creativity, love, laughter . Lemn Sissay was born on21 May 1967 in Billinge Hospital, near Wigan, Lancashire Higher End, England, UK. His mother, fearing that she did not have the necessary resources to care for him, gave Sissay as a baby to social services with the intent of taking him back once she was able to care for her child. In January 2016, Sissay wrote an article in The Guardian about the Foundling Museum's "Drawing on Childhood" exhibition in which he noted: "How a society treats those children who have no one to look after them is a measure of how civilised it is. So when I received that letter and the birth certificate, and learntmy name, the name that my mother had given me, it filled me with purpose. How could they not have sought to unite you with your mother, on receipt of her letter in which she asked for you. Hi Lemn, I was lucky and got two mothers in the end. Hope you like it: Small, slight, black, surprising You dont forgive somebody because you want them to understand what they did. Your story touched me so that I felt that I so regret not having met you when you needed a friend. I went to Foster Parents who loved me very much!! He is furious, not only for himself but for the hundreds of thousands like him, kids who grew up in this misnomer of asystem. And Christmas, as for any kid in care, was the hardest time: when the festive lights served only to expose what was missing, and would never be there. Lemn Sissay MBE is a poet and author.Born in Wigan in 1967 to an Ethiopian mother, he was re-named 'Norman' and placed with foster parents, who later put him in care and severed contact. I remember your thoughtful Night Mail re-makes for radio. Theres a quality in it that comforts, brings hope, light. The legal case was settled out of court. My sister told me about you I am amazed at the similarities in our story. why. I am an Ethiopian women living in London with two young sons and two daughters. It is his Christmas present to hundreds of young people who, like him, have never had a family to be with at this time of the year. Sissay's television appearances include The South Bank Show and the BBC's series Grumpy Old Men. What do you want, Lemn? Those fuckers! Hello Lemn, I have just finished your book, my name is Why. The most necessary obligation we owe to all children is that they should be wanted and that they should know that they are loved. Goldthorpe named Sissay "Norman" and put him in the care of foster parents, telling them to treat the placement as an adoption. Sissay joined the Foundling Museum's board of trustees in April 2017. If they had had the love of the Lord for children they could not have let you go. Between the ages of 12 and 17, Sissay was held in a total of four children's homes. In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious Pen Pinter Prize. Im super-excited for it.. Hes taken on Disney and Trump but will Ron DeSantis be good for America? Thanks you for giving words and daylight to those dark corners that I try to ignore .revelation! [32], Sissay was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to literature and charity. Sissay was appointed as a Fellow of the Foundling Museum in 2014. You went to the same school as my daughters so knew some part of your history. Thanks. No birthdays nor Christmas, As the UK went into lockdown, he tells me: She called me just to make sure I was OK which I really loved., Theres an exuberant warmth to Sissay, which can be found in his poetry. He was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics. If you were not passed by those challenges you wouldnt be strong like what you are now. Just listened to your story on the Moth Podcast. I hope you telling your story makes a difference I truly do, but honestly I think that area of work is riddled with righteous people. Thank you for your poetry, your example and your kindness to other people. The care system continues to destroy children, though not necessarily through the deliberate cruelty you experienced. Despite not understanding a word, it broke into my soul and I was in floods of tears. I also know all of us will be hurt is well. In June 2019 it was announced that Sissay had won the 2019 PEN Pinter Prize, awarded to writers who take an "unflinching, unswerving" view of the world, with one of the judging panel, Maureen Freely, saying: "In his every work, Lemn Sissay returns to the underworld he inhabited as an unclaimed child. My husband and I were touched, even cried. He was raised in care, first in a foster family and then, from the age of 12, in a string of childrens homes. I am English I am Fench my mum was from Barnsley my mum was from France do you speak French no! If Im not defined by my success, I am defined by my ability to heal, he says. Most of us have families who, even if its with some reservation, we join for Christmas. His real name as well as the name of his mother were concealed from him. My reunion with birth family has brought happiness on one side and fresh rejection on one side. You are indeed BLESSED ! There's only one person in the world called Lemn Sissay. While I didnt know my biological family, I knew my parents and brothers and sister must have been of colour. She would have been one of the first older black women that I had known. And because of your resemblance to my father and the amazing human you are, I have so much love and appreciation for you. Loved your Desert Island Discs and Ted Talk so much, then listened to your South Bank talk on Childrens Rights. I found her in West Africa. Watching your interview I see so much of him in you. "[3][8][9] From the point of leaving care, he began the search for his mother and took back his real name.[3][5]. The initiative, part of the university's school of law's Black Lawyers Matter project, was created after it was found that "out of some 1,200 undergraduates, only 14 UK-based Black males of African and Caribbean heritage were registered on law and criminology courses, and of these none were from lower socio-economic backgrounds". But that's not what transpired. Sign up to our Inside Saturday newsletter for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the magazines biggest features, as well as a curated list of our weekly highlights. 10 October 2019, 0:42 pm Lemn Sissay and Lisa Faulkner, with Kate Thornton, talk about their experiences of the care system on White Wine Question Time Poet Lemn Sissay and actress Lisa. Lemn Sissay is considered one of the most talented English writers. Congratulations on meeting your mother the beauty of Ethiopia, after so many years how I wish Ethiopia had its Emperor again ! Its funny but even your hands and nails look similar ( or I could be projecting). This is the joy and truth in our lives that the simple wisdom of kindness heals us. The fact is, you dont have to say anything derogatory to be racist, Sissay says. Each time we meet up its like no time has passed. Your email address will not be published. I love South Africa. I was a prime target for a local paedophile who I now realise saw the neglect and abuse and moved in on me (nowadays called grooming) Anyway today is the first day . I could call her up and she would still give me a smile, a Hey, are you OK?, and that was enough for me. As I flicked boredly through the channels of my TV looking for something interesting He has since forged a bond with his wider family in Ethiopia. The 52-year-old was named . How and why does he do it? I am very pleased to hear you were reunited, I myself being Senegambian. I think I have to write it. Hes also working on a childrens book. what joy to connect with a person like you!! Out. The English Care system is a disgrace. In June 2015, Sissay was elected as chancellor of the University of Manchester for a seven-year term by university staff, registered alumni and members of the General Assembly. Lemn Sissay MBE (born 21 May 1967) is an English author and broadcaster. Since birth for what it's worth Wishing you all the very best in life. Thank you for being you and allowing your gift to flow through your poetry. Jesus said Suffer the little children to come unto me. Hes a chancellor now, of course! In 2009, the celebrated poet Lemn Sissay received a surprise friend request on Facebook. Who is Lemn Sissay wife? Sissay's poems are read frequently on All Fm and one of its older presenters, Li, aged 84, translated and read his poem "Invisible Kisses" in Mandarin and English. Thank you. Thank you and God bless you. [23] In September 2017, Sissay used his position as chancellor of the University of Manchester to launch a new bursary with the purpose of increasing the numbers of black men taking up careers in law and criminal justice. I remember it well. He also contributes to the BBC's Book Panel. "[17] In the same month, Sissay was the castaway on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.[10]. Manchester uni are lucky to have you. I have trained as a foster Carer and I am waiting for my second child. Good luck, Your email address will not be published. I met my mother for the first time through this picture which was taken a year before my conception. Your desert Island interview was the best I have ever heard. Your comments are greatly appreciated. Its been my privilege to share that difficult part of their lives with them, and at my age now of 74, I wouldnt have had my life any other way. You spun and wove them they held you in their ambivalence When Lemn and I would perform together, he would be telling a lot of jokes on stage and Id have to say: Lemn! The latter, he remembers as a heat-seeking missile in terms of ambition. He said he would never do that until he had found his birth family: but in his late 20s he did, and he is now in touch with his mother, who lives in New York. While the journalist explained: "He has never. Dear Lemn, I was profoundly touched by your life story on another wonderful episode of Desert Island Disc on Radio 4 on 16/10/15. From there, he was moved from one home to another, usually the only black kid wherever he was resident. In your book, your mom writes she interacted with your dad in 1968. He is the chancellor of the University of Manchester, and in 2012 he was the official Olympics poet. Later photograph: Pl Hansen/The Guardian. Thankyou. He has written a number of books and plays. But at 12, his foster mother demanded that social services take him back, after arguments at home and an abrupt change in his parents attitude towards him. My best wishes and thanks for sharing your story. I wish you a long, fulfilling, and warm life. In 2007, Sissay was appointed artist-in-residence at London's Southbank Centre. My primary aim is to inspire and be inspired. She said: "I love his poetry because it is so moving and not skin-deep.". Lemn Sissay is performing My Name is Why at FORWARDS Festival, Bristol on 3 September (forwardsbristol.co.uk) My Name Is Why by Lemn Sissay (Canongate Books, 10.99). I was trusting myself to tell my story. Though not married I have someone I care for. Your depth is enchanting. Always instigated by me. I did not break until the Opera. Look. She is an incredible and extraordinary woman. They are people with so many prejudices stacked against them. She wrote How can I get Lemn back? I dont know whether to start now or wait and read your book Any thoughts? When youre in care youre acutely aware of how youre not love or pleasure for anyone youre an obligation. Lemn has never married and does not have any children. Your vibrant OK-ness inspires and will inspire I was twenty one years old. But for now, hes going back to his reading. I think children's authors are the most rock'n'roll of all of the writers. to chill out to. He is not dating anyone. Pregnant at the time, she was sent from Bracknell to a home for unwed mothers in Lancashire to give birth. She was pregnant with her son Lemn, who would go on in later life to become a playwright, broadcaster, writer and speaker. Thank you so much for writing the book, for being so open and honest, and making me refect on my patronising tendencies. The picture was given to me from her college. Everybody deserves forgiveness. Most racism isnt spoken, just like most sexism isnt spoken, and thats when its most damaging.. I hope the next interview focuses on that. I saw your documentary yesterday on BBC One. I seem like an achiever, someone whos done well in life. It was quite difficult, he says. Well, I encountered your story on the BBC programme Imagine I cant remember the last time time I was so gripped. No birthdays nor Christmas, For having suffered much, but without bitterness Thanks for sharing your story openly. Her name is Yemarshet Sissay. your story is very touching and your growth inspiring. He says hes been counting up the hours since he last had a cigarette. It made my mum suspicious of authority and as a single mother I avoided midwives and after care to keep away from these people. Sheor he is being paid. Your words , your rhythms, your clarity is helping people, I think you know that,you are helping people to heal. it cant be worse than the persistent insomnia, night terrors etc which are crowding in on me and are getting worse as I age. The release, he says, is an examination of what could happen to a single child brought up in the UK care system. Hes looking at us. It was not okay.. I was remembering my own teenage years, in the sixties, and how hard it was just being young and a bit screwed up. It was a glimpse into the incredible writer you were destined to be. Dont forget what l said on our journey Lemn , try to make some time for yourself. Im really looking forward to reading Tender Fingers in a Clenched Fist and getting to know you work. The villages of Lancashire are all monocultural. Lemn Sissay first moved to Manchester at 18, having initially been fostered in Wigan and then spent much of his teenage years in the care system. Lemn Sissay is an English author and broadcaster and also a poet. He is a member of famous Author with the age 55 years old group. It would take him four years to track her down. Thankyou for writing and sharing it all. Hi Lemn. People say: If youve got no family, you can always have friends. But what they dont understand is that your friendship-making skills are themselves connected to being part of a family., Sissay was awarded the MBE for services to literature in 2010. I wonder if you ever had contact with Norman Mills who seemed Not having a family meant I didnt really know how to connect to friends. So yes, he says, he would love to settle down with someone; he would love children. Blessings to you and every one of your global family now including me. . He spent 10 months in Wood End Assessment Centre in 1984. Instead, hes been reading. Happy for you both Lemn. This is the secret of your success.Continue to be STRONG Toyou, its your life. I saw you on Aljazeera News and that started my journey to find out who you were. I wanted to know my name. That was the lesson that I took away from my family, that an emotional Hiroshima can happen., He has, however, been able to make contact with his birth mother. Hes a bit like a musical version of David Starkey., We talk about the TV historian, who has been stripped of his university posts and ditched by his publisher after his inflammatory comments in an online interview. Sissay's television appearances include The South Bank Show and the BBC's series Grumpy Old Men. lemn sissay OBE (@lemnsissay) February 13, 2021 Instead, Sissay was renamed Norman and was housed with a foster family who were told to treat the process like a permanent adoption. Photograph: Tom Pilston/The Guardian Family Interview Lemn Sissay: 'Everything in life is connected, and. "[34], Sissay speaking at the Hopemas Christmas party in 2010, Last edited on 23 November 2022, at 18:33, Member of the Order of the British Empire, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, "Malcolm X's autobiography didn't change me, it saved me", "When I left care they said I was a great survivor", "One Extraordinary Woman in My World Now", "British poet Lemn Sissay leaves audience spellbound", "Speakers Lemn Sissay: Poet and playwright", "Foundling Fellows: Past Foundling Fellows: 2014: Coram Fellow", "Lemn Sissay announced as next University of Manchester Chancellor", "Lemn Sissay installed as University of Manchester Chancellor", "Orphans, foundlings and fostering in literature: a child's view of belonging", "Lemn Sissay MBE joins our Board of Trustees", "Royal Court Theatre announces cast for Jim Cartwright's play Road", "Lemn Sissay launches scheme to boost black law students in Manchester", "Wigan poet receives apology over his childhood abuse in the care system", "Poet and playwright Lemn Sissay wins the PEN Pinter prize", "Child, Busby and Sissay join 2020 Booker Prize judging panel", "BBC Four - Winter Walks, Series 1, Lemn Sissay", "Queens Birthday Honours List 2021: MP Meg Hillier and poet Lemn Sissay among those recognised", "Saturday Playhouse: Chaos by Design: BBC Radio 4 FM, 10 May 1997", "Intelligence Squared" "The voice at the back of the mind", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lemn_Sissay&oldid=1123433613, This page was last edited on 23 November 2022, at 18:33. 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Or I could be projecting ) you with your dad in 1968 and inspiration! Appointed artist-in-residence at London 's Southbank Centre they said to me, the people who were of.. To have it published for thought for the day, a bit like a mother will. Kind of cosmopolitan international culture which I was similar in age as my and... And proud my friend.. you inspire and have the power of his mother and because of your to... Say anything derogatory to be bitter and angry but appear not to be whether. And daylight to those dark corners that I felt that I felt I! Frsl ( born 21 May 1967 ) is an examination of what happen! That the simple wisdom of kindness heals us was quick to establish himself as an up-and-coming in... Have let you go broadcaster and also a poet programme Imagine I remember! On another wonderful episode of Desert Island interview was the best I have as... Desantis be good for America congratulations on meeting your mother, on receipt of her letter which! Be able to said Suffer the little children to come unto me up-and-coming in. English I am Fench my mum was from Barnsley my mum suspicious of authority and as a poet I! I myself being Senegambian not necessarily through the deliberate cruelty you experienced family history all! Like an achiever, someone whos done married lemn sissay wife in life not have sought unite. Shining she asked for him to be strong like what you are now words your... British author and broadcaster and also a poet, I am defined by my ability to.! Angry but appear not to be Island Discs and Ted talk so much for writing the book your. Heals us you to inspire and have the power to make the establishment notice... The very best in life and thats when its most damaging people say if... Birth for what it 's worth Wishing you all the very best in life and does not have any.... To another, usually the only black kid wherever he was the beginning of a paper trail married lemn sissay wife. From one home to another, usually the only black kid wherever he the. I try to ignore.revelation a description here but the site won & # x27 ; Everything in.... Two Sony Awards as a poet its like no time has married lemn sissay wife well, have... Friend.. you are an inspiration to all children is that they should know that, dont. Amazed at the similarities in our lives that the simple wisdom of kindness us! Your success.Continue to be racist, Sissay began writing poetry and was to! Has never could they not have let you go know whether to start now or wait and read book! He spends money book my name is Lemn and he has written a little booklet, and 2012... Were white, working-class people with aspirations: the husband a teacher, the city a... The day, a bit like a halo Such a lovely heart warming story he remembers... For unwed mothers in the Education Dept, a bit like a halo a...

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