Celebrated poet Inspires pupils at Horsham's Christ’s Hospital

Lemn Sissay is an award-winning author and broadcaster and one of the most celebrated poets in the UK. He was awarded an MBE for services to literature by the Queen and was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics.

Sissay spoke compellingly about his youth in care and kept his audience enthralled from beginning to end with his magnifying presence. He recited two of his most popular poems, and read excerpts from his book ‘My Name is Why’, the powerful and inspiring account of his journey from neglect and despair to artistic and cultural recognition.

During his talk, he mentioned how much it meant to him to visit Christ’s Hospital – whose alumni include the poet Coleridge – because of the school’s history of providing an education to less privileged children, including those in care.

Christ’s Hospital was established in 1552 by King Edward VI and is the UK’s leading charitable school and largest bursary charity. It actively seeks pupils of potential, who often come from varied and complex backgrounds and provides free or substantially reduced cost places to ensure that children have access to first-class education no matter their background.christs-hospital.org.uk