Main content

Lemn Sissay: My life in five dishes

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

The internationally acclaimed poet and playwright Lemn Sissay OBE shares the story of his life by recalling five memorable dishes.

His is an extraordinary story of family, and identity, lost and found.

Born to an Ethiopian mother in the north of England and quickly placed into long-term foster care, Lemn was, for years, deprived of any knowledge of his heritage. His traumatic upbringing and subsequent search for his family and identity have informed much of his award-winning writing.

In this programme, he tells Ruth Alexander about five memorable dishes that act as 鈥減ositioning points鈥 in his life to date.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

(Picture: Lemn Sissay holding a cup of coffee. Credit: 91热爆)

Producer: Elisabeth Mahy

Researcher: Siobhan O鈥機onnell

Available now

28 minutes

On radio

Tomorrow 04:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 30 Jun 2022 03:32GMT
  • Thu 30 Jun 2022 04:32GMT
  • Thu 30 Jun 2022 10:32GMT
  • Thu 30 Jun 2022 18:32GMT
  • Thu 30 Jun 2022 21:32GMT
  • Thu 30 Jun 2022 22:32GMT
  • Sun 3 Jul 2022 07:32GMT
  • Tomorrow 04:32GMT
  • Tomorrow 13:32GMT
  • Tomorrow 18:32GMT
  • Tomorrow 23:32GMT
  • Sunday 09:32GMT

Featured in...

Food Chain highlights

Tea, coffee, spices, chillies ... snack on a selection of programme highlights

Podcast