Lemn Sissay
In 1984, 18-year-old Lemn Sissay left the care system. In the ten years that followed, he published his first book of poems, performed at the Hacienda and tracked down his birth mother in Gambia. He looks back at the decade when, he says, he entered the world as an artist.
Decades: EPISODE 09
More episodes in Decades
Tracey Emin (Decades: Episode 01)
Tracey Emin needs no introduction. After leaving school with no qualifications at thirteen, Emin went on to become one of the leading figures of Britart. Here she discusses her growth through the 80s and her adoration for art.
Jack Hill (Decades: Episode 02)
Award-winning Times photographer Jack Hill has captured the conflict and suffering of war for years. In 2014, along with foreign correspondent Anthony Lloyd, Hill was double-crossed, captured and beaten by a rebel gang in northern Syria. Covering 2006-2016 for our ‘Decades’ series, Hill talks through the hardship and beauty in his work.
Franc Roddam (Decades: Episode 06)
Franc Roddam made a name for himself with the film Quadrophenia. If that wasn’t enough, he later created the small matter of popular TV show Masterchef. Discussing, among other things, his well-known work that encapsulated an era and the need “to know what is true and what is false” in the Directorial chair, Roddam opens up about his 70s experience.
Jez Nelson (Decades: Episode 03)
Jez Nelson has been a key figure for jazz in the UK, having spent years transmitting it through pirate radio stations before joining the newly licensed Jazz FM in 1989. Along the way he’s spoken to some of the greatest and most eccentric characters in jazz and performance, including Herbie Hancock, Nina Simone and Sun Ra. For 'Decades' he talks us through the years 1982-1992.
