“The World Wakes.” He talks about the power of graphene and your imagination, this is because he has a big imagination, which got him through tough times. He also mentions something called “A sticky tricky backhand.” which we can associate with the creation of graphene, which was discovered by taking a hunk of graphite and taking scotch tape on and off the chunk of it. After a while all that was left was graphene. This connects to Lemn Sissay's life, because as a kid, we see Lemn continuously get kicked around by life, but after a while he turns into a beautiful poet, this leads to him being the shuck of graphite, and after being slowly "chipped" away, all that is left is graphene, or his new life.

His career took off after his creation of a BBC documentary Internal Flight. The documentary tells the story of his life. Later his book Something Dark addressed his search for family. Lemn Sissay was commissioned by the Museum of Science and Industry to write a poem about their Wonder Materials: Graphene and Beyond exhibition. Sissay wanted to use The World Wakes as a way to express graphene's potential in the real world. While some have expressed concerns about the use of graphene and its possible use in making weapons, Sissay says “Graphene should inspire people to come up with incredible uses for it”.

He struggled as he grew up with alcohol use disorder, PTSD, and many more mental issues that challenged him. The way he was treated as a child made it difficult for him to achieve success, but that didn’t stop him. He became a poet, playwright, musician, producer, and stand-up comedian. Some of the top awards he received were an MBE by The Queen of England for services to literature, The Pen Pinter Prize, and a Points of Light award by The Prime Minister.

Lemn Sissay’s poem “The World Wakes” is about taking the little he grew up with, and making it into something big. In his poem he uses the example of graphite - the mineral that can be used to create different things to graphene - this wonder stuff that can change your life. The graphite is the horrific childhood he experienced, the little he had, and the graphene is this wonderful thing that made him get to where he is now. He was once this little boy with nothing, and is now this world-wide known artist with numerous pieces of work like poems, books, talks, etc. His poem is about taking what you have, and making a future for yourself. 

At 18, he published his first poetry book, which included the poem The World Wakes. This poem says a lot about Lemn’s childhood and early life and how he had to change the script. The World Wakes talks about how in order to accomplish your dreams or what you believe in,  YOU have to believe that you have the power, graphene. “Overland, underground, wonderland flatland” all places of imagination, opportunity, and freedom.  And now, Sissay is the new chancellor of the University of Manchester. In whom he beat Peter Mandelson, a British politician, as a highschool dropout. Sissay had to rebuild his life from the ground up, and because he believed in himself, he made it. 

“Take the vast sea and make it drinkable” and “The future is as wide as dreams are high” These quotes from the poem show Sissay's feelings towards his life and how he aimed high and worked hard to become successful and make something great from something that didn’t start great. By the end of the poem Sissay mentions graphene and not graphite. The poem shows how he went from graphite to graphene. He didn’t have a rich childhood he had struggle some one without his mother and foster parents, but he worked hard and did the unthinkable and became “Graphene” a famous poet with many awards and no longer struggling like he was early in his life. 

Even with that tough childhood Lemn Sissay pushed through and became a famous poet. He wrote his first book when he was 21 and he is now 56 years old. He has published about 10 books, written mutable plays, and published 5 poetry collections. His most famous poems are Tender Fingers in a Clenched Fist, Rebel Without Applause, Morning Breaks in the Elevator, The Emperor's Watchmaker, and Listener. Even though he grew up with not even a penny to spare he now has a net worth of 5 million dollars. 

His whole life is kind of like his poem The World Wakes. The poem is about using graphene to improve the future into the best it can possibly be. This connects to his real life because he started out as a poor kid in a care home with no parents, but now he is a millionaire, poet, and author. He was even awarded an MBE for services to literature by The Queen of England in 2010 and a Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister in 2017. Graphene has a very rare chance of being discovered, like Lemn Sissay's chance of success he went from a nobody to a millionaire poet.

- Kerra Kennedy

Lemn Sissay was put into foster care by working class white people. When he grew up to become rebellious, like any other kid, his foster parents decided they didn’t want to see him at the age of 12. He would go on to be put in multiple other foster homes which all abused him in many ways. Racially, emotionally, and even physically. For a trivial painted toy he was sent to an assessment unit which had no freedom. At 18 he was giving minimal resources to live, and no connection to his family. The authorities wouldn’t give him his files, only two notes containing his real name (he was given a different name when he got put into care,) and a note of his mother proving that she did not abandon him, which is what he had been told. Eventually he got a hold of his files, but not before the damage to his life was already done. He suffered from depression, and would disappear to the public for months at a time. His years until 21 were unanswered until he finally met with his mother, who he grew close with overtime. His literary career would take him many places.

The reason graphene was so important for Sissay was because graphene was a complete accident. It was extracted by sticky tape by 2 scientists in a lab. This is really similar to how his poetry career started. He wrote a poem book self published for himself, which ended up in pubs, political marches, and stand up performances, and eventually more. The book was a big shot to Sissays career and ultimately was a complete turn of events for him. He didn’t know if the book he self published would become the importance it holds today. Yet just like the invention of graphene, an accident can turn into bigger things. Things never imagined, for Sissay, it was fame, fortune, and his voice. For graphene, its scientific achievements, technological advancement, and more, both and all in flatland.

I think that the connection between Sissay’s life and his poem “The World Wakes” is that something so little can become so big. He was in foster care his whole life, he had never met his parents but he still turned out to be successful. Just like in the poem, something as little as graphite, can become graphene, which can shape future, change the world. Lemn had found himself in group homes, being knocked around between cares, writing poems for comfort, which got publicized and he gained fame. He became someone who makes an impact on the world. Like how graphene came from graphite on “a sticky tricky backhand”.

 
- Nicholas Curtiss

 At 17 Sissay used his unemployment money and everything he had saved up to self publish his first collection of poems called Perceptions of The Pen. In Sissays poem The World Wakes he talks about how graphite became graphene and how it was accidentally discovered by two scientists playing around in a lab he says in his poem “ found the future on a sticky tricky backhand” Which relates back to the fact that the graphene was discovered by the scientists using a piece of sticky tape. 

This poem relates back to his life because when Sissay self-published that first book of poems he was only 17 and he had just discovered that his life was a lie, and he was left with nothing and nobody. He didn’t expect to become famous for his poetry. It was a happy accident that ended up changing his life completely for the better, as someone who grew up and started from absolutely nothing he was able to share his writing and make a name for himself, just like how graphene was discovered it was discovered by accident and wasn’t meant to happen but it did and changed the world. Which is why the tone of the poem talks about hope and how dreams and change are attainable because that is what was able to happen to him. 

Sissay was able to relate himself to the discovery of graphene because, graphene was discovered when scientists took small layers off of graphite with tape, not expecting anything to happen. This led to the accidental discovery of graphene. This related to Lemn because when he started publishing writing, he didn't think that anything would come from it, but it changed his life completely. He also wrote a poem for an exhibit in the Science and Industry Museum about graphene. 

Lemn Sissay spent his childhood in foster care and in an out of 4 childrens homes from the age of 12 to 17, he got taken into foster care when he was born and wasn't able to contact his mother until he got out of the children's homes at age 18. Once he got out of the children's homes he started writing poetry about his childhood and family life trauma and giving out photocopies whenever he could. Lemn Sissay was a chancellor at Manchester university where graphene was discovered. The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester UK asked and paid Lemn Sissay to write a poem about graphene. In the poem The World Wakes, Lemn Sissay writes about the uses of graphene.

Sissay in 1985 self published his first poetry book Perceptions of The Pen. Later on Sissay was commissioned by the Museum of Science and Industry to write a poem on graphene for their Wonder Materials: Graphene and Beyond exhibition Sissay has also won many awards like 

2023 Freedom of The City of London, 2023 Honorary Doctor Leicester University, 2023 Honorary Fellow Mansfield College Oxford, 2022 Manchester Culture Awards: Special recognition award, 2022 Ness Award Royal Geographical Society, 2022 Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature #FRSL, 2022 Making A Difference Award University of Manchester, 2022 Honorary Chair in Creative Writing University of Manchester, 2022 Honorary Bencher Inner Temple, 2021 Honorary Fellow Jesus College Cambridge, 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours OBE, 2021 Grierson Award - Nominee, 2021 Winner Indie Book Awards (non Fiction), 2021 Essex University Honorary Doctorate, 2021 Broadcast Awards - nominee, 2020 RTS Award - nominee, 2019 Grierson Award - nominee, 2019 PEN Pinter Prize.

After Sissay grew up he was a literature development worker at commonword, a community publishing cooperative in Manchester. When he was 21 he met his birth mother after a long search. He wrote his first book of poetry when he was 21 and since he was the age of 24 he has been a full time writer. 

Lemn Sissay's accomplishments 

Race in the media award

New years honours NBE 

Honorary doctor of letters university of huddersfield 

Fellow of Foundling Museum 

Citation from congress 

Chancellor at University of Manchester 

NESTA new racial award

BAFTA nominee 

Freedom of the city of london 

Queen’s birthday honors 
Winner indie books awards

Broadcast awards - nominee

RTS award - nominee

Grierson award- nominee

PEN printer prize 

He was then brought into a foster home by a deeply religious Lancashire family. And even throughout all of this he says that he was a happy child but, in his very first poem he was able to  imagine himself as a 16-year-old as fearful and withdrawn. Where writing poems came naturally to him. Lemn’s foster dad had been an English teacher, so there were books everywhere in his house. 

Sissay had a very poor education and was placed in children's homes from the ages 12-17, and finally Lemn’s could self publish his first pamphlet Perceptions of the Pen where he sold to miners in Lancashire. 

Lemn’s then moved from Atherton to the city of Manchester, where he worked at Commonword as a literature developer. From then on Lemn’s was able to publish even more poems, and finally would win his first award in 2006 witch was called UK Commision for Racial Equality’s.where he would go on to win 16 more awards from 2010 to 2023. 

Lemn Sissay met birth mother at 21 while she was working in the United States. He was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics. Worked with the British council. He won the UK commission for racial equality's race in the media award. He wrote five collections of poetry. His foster father did poetry. He didn't have all the privileges at the start of his life.

 Even though it was hard he published books and tried to sell them at pubs, political marches, and anyplace where he could stand up and perform. He published 14 books. Lemn Sissay was commissioned by the museum of Science and Industry to write a poem for their wonder materials: Graphene and Beyond. 

At 17, Lemn used his unemployment benefit money to self publish his first piece of poetry. At the age of 19, he was a literature development worker at Commonword, which is a community publishing cooperative in Manchester, England. Lemn met his mother at the age of 21, after a very long and difficult search. At the time, his mother was working for the United Nations in The Gambia. Lemn published his first piece in 1988 at the age of 21. In 1991, at the age of 24, he became a full time writer and poet. He has received awards spanning from an MBE for services to literature by The Queen of England all the way to a Points of Light Award from The Prime Minister. Lemns early life made him a person to realize you need to start everything from scratch and that you need to be humble the whole way through your journey. He is now a very successful man and it comes to show that any beginning can make you great, you just have to keep going.

  the 21st of May, 1967. Lemn is a British author and broadcaster. Sissay was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics, was chancellor of the University of Manchester from 2015 until 2022, and joined the Foundling Museum's board of trustees two years later, having previously been appointed one of the museum's fellows. He was awarded the 2019 PEN Pinter Prize.

Sissay's mother, Yemarshet Sissay, arrived in Britain from Ethiopia in 1966, She was pregnant at the time, she was sent from Bracknell in Berkshire to a home for unwed mothers in Lancashire to give birth. His birth father, Giddey Estifanos, was a pilot for Ethiopian Airlines, who died in a plane crash in 1972. 

 

The World Wakes is a poem by Lemn sissay the university of Machester asked him to write about graphene which is a newly discovered 2d carbon compound that was discovered by taking the sticky piece of scotch tape and peeling graphite off.  The poem described his life and graphene’s life by showing how they both started very rough, Lemn had nothing and no one to help him in the beginning of his life until he was nearly 16 he was in foster with no one believing he would be anything. Graphene was just a  theory even after it was discovered no one believed it true uses and it was said to be fake or just someones dream. 

“Everything I have done in my life has allowed me to be in a position where I can make a difference to The University of Manchester.” Lemn said this for the University of Manchester when the poem was published and it shows how despite all odds against him his decisions across his entire life put him at this point in the University and changing many peoples lives from the words he has used. Graphene is the “wonder stuff” as the poem called it and shows that no matter how you start off if it good or bad you can always change things to become whoever and whatever you want.

9/28/23

English

Who Is Lemn Sissay?

Lemn Sissay is a 56 year old ethiopian man but more importantly Lemn Sissay is a poet, a playwright, a broadcaster and many more. He is known for his many books such as My Name Is Why and Let The Light Pour In. Some of his poems include “Some Things I Like” and “Gift Of Time”. He is also known for being the chancellor of University Of Manchester from 2015 to 2022. 

Lemn Sissay was taken from his mother at a very young age and was put into foster care most of his life. When he turned 12 his foster parents kicked him out because he painted part of there roof with the ethiopian flag colors he was then put into child care. He was ridiculed, abused and was harmed for his skin color. During his 18 years in child care he starts writing poetry to cope with his many issues .He discovers that he's a good poet and he is fortunate enough that he can sell his self published poems to the world and the world happens to love it which brings me to the next part his poem “The World Wakes” which is about graphene. Graphene was found by chance the scientists were not trying to look for graphene they just happened to have found it so it was all chance. So Lemn Sissay's career was found by chance which is why the poem about graphene and its many uses is also about Lemn Sissay himself.  

In conclusion Lemn Sissay is a very interesting man with a very interesting past. Although his past was unfortunate he would not be the person he is today. He would not be such a great author if it was not for his past.  

Lemn Sissay is the author of “The World Wakes” which is a poem that explores the use and discovery of graphene. His life story and the discovery of graphene connect in many different ways. To elaborate, the discovery of graphene involved two scientists that took a piece of graphite and used scotch tape to peel off layer after layer. Their discovery was an accident, but without it there wouldn’t be certain technology advances. This discovery is similar to Lemn Sissay’s life because of how he grew up in an abusive foster home and children’s home, but ended up becoming an extremely successful poet doing what he loves to do. Sissay did not intend to become well-known, but since becoming famous he has been able to share his experiences and help others who are going through similar situations. 

Soon enough the head of social services got in touch with Lemn to say that his files had finally been found. So that was the beginning of the process that brought him to perform and talk about it. In recent years the Britain councils have begun to compensate children who were abused in their care. When Lemn Sissay was given his files he was told that the Wigan council wished to apologize to him.

His lawyer who is a expert in child abuse made his claim. Sissay tells me, of the record, the amount which was nothing outlandish, about in the low six figures. Wigan took six months to respond to Lemns' claim and then offered 11 times less to him. Sissay says he knows of abuse victims who settled for little as $2,000. Sissay also says “I was in care for 18 years. The care system should be a place where 18 years is a gift because you’ve got all the resources, the best education, the best psychotherapeutic work, and actually it was 18 years of betrayal, secrets, lies, beats, and incarceration.” 

The poem World wakes connects to Lemn Sissay because although Sissay had a rough history he managed to put that aside and work on what he truly loves to do: write poems.