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Radio & Podcast Better Reading Top 100: Criag Silvey on the Books that Shaped his Childhood Better Reading ➝ 153. The Founding Fathers: Alexander Hamilton Empire ➝ James VI and I: Life of the Week History Extra Podcast ➝ Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking Great Lives ➝ The UpEND Podcast The UpEND Podcast ➝ How 700 Polish children made an unlikely journey from the depths of Siberia to the New Zealand countryside. Stories from the Eastern West ➝ Patricia Cornwell (podcast) World Book Club ➝ Samantha Morton on Growing Up in the Care Ssytem and Facing Adversity in the Acting World. Louis Theroux Podcast Samantha Morton ➝ Adoption and moral obligation The Philosopher's Zone ➝ Today in Focus: Bangladesh The Guardian ➝ The green suitcase and the secret family Conversations ➝ Why my birth parents tried to keep me a secret BBC Outlook ➝ Jennifer Down and Jonathan Franzen relive the 1970s The Book Show ➝ Kiri Te Kanawa (Podcast) This Cultural Life ➝ Historical fiction with Jodi Picoult The Penguin Podcast ➝ The Magdalenes and I Steven O'Riordan ➝ JRR Tolkien's religious legacy God Forbid ➝ Trans-national adoption and "blending in" The Philosopher's Zone ➝ Mary & George: the real history behind the new drama History Extra Podcast ➝ The language we use about children in care Word of Mouth ➝ My long-lost sister was a surrogate mother to my twins BBC Outlook ➝ Can new scientific evidence prove a convicted child-killer is innocent? | 60 Minutes Australia 60 Minutes Australia ➝ Lemn Sissay Is the One and Only BBC Sounds (Sissay) ➝ Voices in Action Voices in Action ➝ Anton Clifford-Motopi on finding his full name Conversations (Anton Clifford-Motopi) ➝ Stupid crooks, crooked cops and honest John Conversations ➝ A Reading Life, A Writing Life A Reading Life, A Writing Life ➝ Charlie Chaplin's Funny Walk and Other Music Hall Mysteries The History Listen ➝ Why Bond and the Beatles ruled the sixties History Extra ➝ Andrea Levy - Small Island World Book Club ➝ The 31: Ukraine's stolen children Slow News (2) ➝ Patricia Cornwell This Cultural Life ➝ PG Wodehouse Great Lives ➝ Alan Warner: Movern Callar Bookclub (Warner) ➝ The Unfinished Prince Stuff the British Stole (podcast) ➝ Darcey & Chloe - How the system failed to save two baby girls Background Briefing (3) ➝ The Book Club: Patricia Highsmith The Bookshelf ➝ From ‘devil’s child’ to star ballerina | Michaela DePrince Ted Talks ➝ Margo O'Byrne Fremantle Shipping News ➝ An obscenity trial that shocked Victorian Britain History Extra Podcast (Besant) ➝ The Songwriter: Willie Nelson American Masters ➝ Access All: Disability News and Mental Health Claire Baker ➝ Mother of Lion, Sue Brierley, tells her story Sue Brierley ➝ Foundling: Found - a new podcast series Julian Brown ➝ Season 3, Episode 6 Dee Michell and Rosie Canning on Care Experience & Culture - Trauma Resonance Resilience Lisa Cherry ➝ Charles Dickens - Great Expectations Charles Dickens ➝ Matthew Henson: Courageous Discoverer Despite Racism Matthew Henson ➝ Poet Jackie Kay traces her journey to her birth parents Jackie Kay ➝ Nina Bernstein and June Norton on Ella Fitzgerald American Masters ➝ BBC Radio 4 - Books and Authors, Joyce Carol Oates, Wind in the Willows and Orphans in literature Joyce Carol Oates ➝ John Lennon - Part 2: Joined to Yoko on Apple Podcasts Personology ➝ Edgar Allan Poe (Podcast) In Our Time (Poe) ➝ ‎Daddy-Less Issues Podcast on Apple Podcasts Chanel Ali Rollo et al. ➝ The Children of Morelia Destry Maria Sibley ➝ BBC Radio 4 - Child of the State Lemn Sissay ➝ When Robert met Maida Robert Tickner ➝ ‎The Penguin Podcast: Alex Wheatle with Nihal Arthanayake Alex Wheatle et al ➝ Mary Wilson — Dream Girl Mary Wilson ➝ The Imprint Weekly Podcast The Imprint Weekly Podcast ➝ Stripped of my spirituality Heart and Soul ➝ Madam CJ Walker You're Dead to Me (Madam CJ Walker) ➝ The Lady Imposter The History Listen ➝ Childen locked away: Britain's modern bedlam Slow News ➝ A free lunch Life Changing with Jane Garvey ➝ Guilty feminist Deborah Frances-White Conversations ➝ Episode 74 - The Care Experienced Conference The Adoption and Fostering Podcast ➝ Wards of the State Karlos Dillard ➝ Is adoption ethical God Forbid ➝ Finding Finland Finding Finland ➝ Brian Cox on The Book Shelf with Ryan Tubridy The Bookshelf ➝ How Superman Defeated the KKK (in Real Life): Hear the World Changing 1946 Radio Drama Open Culture ➝ Child removal, women & class Surviving Society ➝ Dr Johnson's Black Heir Empire ➝ Charlie Chaplin Dan Snow's History Hit ➝ May Wirth: bareback riding queen The History Listen ➝ Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley BBC Sounds ➝ Rhys Stephenson and Esther Manito A Good Read ➝ Tolstoy: War and the Russian Empire Empire ➝ How Walter Scott’s stories shaped Scotland History Extra ➝ Jackie Kay Desert Island Discs ➝ Coco Chanel The Scandal Mongers Podcast ➝ Eleanor Roosevelt Short History of (JRR Tolkien) ➝ Stolen (2021) Stolen ➝ The Children's Homes Scandal The Rest is Money ➝ The Missing Magdalens History Listen ➝ Adoption: The Making of Me Adoption: The Making of Me ➝ Pieces of a Man BBC Radio 4 ➝ Hay Festival - 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But He Has a Different Story to Tell The Daily ➝ The Kids of Rutherford County The Kids of Rutherford County ➝ John Boyne on The Book Shelf with Ryan Tubridy The Bookshelf ➝ Episode 237. Marilyn Monroe The Rest is History 2 ➝ One Another (Podcast) Read This (Gail Jones ➝ Edward Gibbon In Our Time ➝ The Poet: Dr. Maya Angelou American Masters ➝ Episode 5. Person With Care Experience - BBC Sounds Small Axe ➝ The orphan hero: George King Helen Berry ➝ Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte ➝ Uncle Jack Charles: not true blue, true blak Jack Charles ➝ Inside A Mountain PodBean Development ➝ Jenni Fagan 12 Podcast Episodes Jenni Fagan ➝ Trevor Jordan: adoption and the ethics of secrets Trevor Jordan ➝ A Journey through the Disney Animated Classics Daniel Lammin ➝ Karen Menzies' hidden Aboriginal heritage Karen Menzies ➝ A mother I never knew — the secret of Peter Papathanasiou Peter Papathanasiou ➝ The Joy of Dickens Johnny Pitts et al. ➝ In and out of strife: Vickie Roach's turbulent life Vickie Roach ➝ Series 4 Episode 1 Birth & Justice ➝ The Bed Under the Stairs Lemn Sissay ➝ An ode to the telephone Melanie Tait ➝ The wisdom of deep listening: Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann and Fleur Magick Dennis Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann ➝ New Norcia’s nuns and the riddle of reconciliation Veronica Willaway ➝ Jeanette Winterson: the storyteller's tale Jeanette Winterson ➝ Back to Top

Films/Videos An Angel for May 2002 Young Tom, who is unhappy at home because of his parents' separation, travels fifty years to the past after discovering a time machine. He meets May, a little orphan who has been traumatised. Now that he knows his friends' fate and his own, he will try to reorder the events and change their history. External Website

Authors A A Little Princess (Film) ➝ Anne of Green Gables (tv film) ➝ Auntie Mame ➝ Atomised ➝ A.I. Artificial Intelligence ➝ August Rush ➝ A Thousand and One ➝ A Mother Finds Her Lost Child After a 40-year search ➝ A Family Affair ➝ A Chance in the World ➝ Angels & Demons ➝ A child of the state ➝ Trade Secrets 1: Maria Amidu on making a living and working internationally ➝ A Cry from the Streets ➝ Alex Cross (film series) ➝ America ➝ A Walz Through the Hills (Film) ➝ An Angel for May ➝ Back to Top

Carrie Steele Logan (1829 – November 3, 1900) was an American philanthropist and founder of the Colored [sic] Orphanage of Atlanta , the oldest Black orphanage in the U.S. Born into slavery in Georgia around 1829, she learned to read and write despite her challenging upbringing, including being orphaned as a child. Her experiences as a young enslaved mother shaped her compassion for children in need. After moving to Atlanta, she supported herself by selling handmade goods and later worked as a matron at a train depot, where she observed many homeless children. In response, Steele Logan began caring for them and eventually raised funds through speeches, community donations, and her savings. With support from the Atlanta City Council, local advocacy groups, and the state of Georgia, she established the orphanage in 1889, later housed in a three-story building accommodating up to 50 children. She also wrote an autobiography to raise funds. In 1890, she married minister Josehia Logan and had a son, James Robert Steele, who worked as a barber and later became an elder at Bethel AME Church. Carrie Steele Logan died in 1900 at 71, with her funeral attended by over 3,000 people. Her legacy endures through the Carrie Steele-Pitts Home , which still operates, and she was honored as a Georgia Woman of Achievement in 1998. A bronze bas relief sculpture commemorates her in Atlanta.

Hannah Brown (1866-1973) By Rosie Canning Care Experience & Culture recently added a new genre featuring ‘ Activists ’ and are wondering if Hannah Brown who grew up in the Foundling Hospital, could be the FIRST care-experienced activist. The Foundling Hospital was established in 1739 by Thomas Coram , a philanthropist driven by sight of destitute infants left to die on the streets, campaigned tirelessly for nearly 17 years to garner support for the hospital's creation. It was Britain’s first charitable institution dedicated to the care and upbringing of vulnerable and abandoned children. Though Coram succeeded in securing a Royal Charter from King George II after 17 years of effort, his outspoken nature led to his departure from the board within a few years. Admission Criteria and the Ballot System Mothers brought their babies to the Foundling Hospital to be cared for, with many hopeful that their circumstances would change so that they could one day reclaim their child. The institution focused on infants under 12 months, with mothers undergoing interviews to confirm their eligibility. Starting in 1742, the admission process included a ballot system to manage limited capacity: White ball: Admission granted, pending the child’s health inspection. Orange ball: Conditional admission, dependent on others failing health checks. Black ball: Immediate rejection and removal. In 1756, Parliament mandated the admission of all children brought to the Hospital, providing funding to support this policy. This "General Reception" period saw an overwhelming influx of children, resulting in severe overcrowding and resource strain. Tragically, two-thirds of these children perished due to the inadequate conditions. Foster Care Every child admitted to the Foundling Hospital was baptised and given a new name. Between the 1740s and 1760s, mothers left a token that could be used to identify their child if they returned to reclaim them. Accepted children were registered and sent to foster families or "nurses" in the countryside, until the age of five. They were then brought to live and be educated in the Foundling Hospital until around the age of 15, when they were sent out as apprentices, primarily in domestic or military service. Hannah Brown (not her Foundling name) was born 26th June 1866 and placed in the Foundling Hospital at 6 months. She was baptized Hannah Sherman [1] in 1866. Hannah later wrote ' The Child She Bare, A Foundling (London, Headley, 1919) an account of her childhood experiences and which she published anonymously. She writes realistically about her time in the Foundling Hospital and many of her protests and observations are uncannily still relevant today. THE writer was born in the year 1866. She has never known anything of her parentage, rightful name, or nationality, but was handed over (when a few months old) by her mother to the Foundling Hospital, London. Having gazed on me for the last time, with (I take for granted) a heart surcharged with woe, she left me to my fate...Being christened the same day in the Chapel of the Foundling Hospital and given a fictitious name I was later taken by a foster nurse to live in the country until the age of three; when I should be brought back to commence my existence as one of the children of the Foundling Hospital. Thus, for the second time in three years, I was deprived of a Mothe r. – The Child She Bare Hannah resented the stigma of illegitimacy and reflected on her experiences in her autobiography, and wrote about the victimisation of women who have loved 'not wisely but too well' and how the very concept of an "unmarried mother" is a construct born of laws created by men. Such a woman is neither a "fallen woman," nor is her child "illegitimate." ‘...children’s happiness and future welfare is sacrificed, even to the extent of their mother’s name, nationality – thrown in the world without a relative or friend to confide in…and have no right to the stigma attached to them.’ – The Child She Bare In her writing she is trying to bring about social change and sharing her very personal autobiographical experiences that do not end when they leave the Foundling Hospital. ‘ The few girls. Who by chance become married, are put to shame before their own offspring, whenever the simplest and most natural questions are asked by the child as to its mother's parentage: This is owing to the child's mother being deprived of her rightful name and knowledge of her nationality .’ – The Child She Bare Hannah also mentions how it is impossible to acquire their birth certificates as the only ones available are the ‘false’ ones issued by the Foundling Hospital. She leaves the Foundling Hospital after completing her fourth apprenticeship, for which she receives ‘five guineas’ in 1887, she is 20 years old. She leaves the last placement because she wants to be UNKNOWN - She writes: ‘…In future no mistress should know anything about me.' She’s referring to the stigma of being a foundling which she eventually recognizes was FALSE sense of shame. After leaving the Foundling Hospital, Hannah talks about the foundlings becoming a community in themselves and meet in secret due to the stigma. This is an interesting observation and perhaps we can imagine Hannah holding meetings with like-minded individuals as a way to fight and protest against the stigma and victimisation of foundlings and even gave birth to her memoir The Child She Bare. The memoir critiques the institutional childcare system, highlighting the lack of emotional support and advocating for the recognition of children’s rights and dignity. Hannah’s story offers a deeply personal and critical lens on historical debates surrounding child welfare reforms and the societal stigmatization of illegitimacy during that era. Hannah went on to marry Frank Brown, an Art Master and they had one daughter, Nancy. Hannah herself became an artist, exhibiting at the Royal Academy and contributing drawings to husband Frank's English Art Series . Despite her beginnings Hannah experienced a life well lived. If you visit the Foundling Museum, you'll be able to see a small display about Hannah that Rosie and Josie Pearse helped to curate. (1) Theresa Musgrove, Charles Dickens Researcher, who through detective work found Hannah’s surname which was passed on to Coram and enabled them to finally find the famous Hannah in the Foundling Hospital Register. [Theresa Musgrove, email to Rosie Canning, 17th November 2022] (2) A Foundling, The Child She Bare (London: Headley Bros, 1918) [Copyright of this page belongs to Rosie Canning, so if you use this blog, please reference Rosie and Care Experience & Culture.]

Dr Dee Michell reflects on A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler, a tender book about finding dignity and beauty in solitude. A Whole Life is an extraordinary read. Calmly, almost methodically, Austrian-born Robert Seethaler charts the ‘whole life’ of an ‘ordinary’ man, a man who survives extraordinary disruptions. Andreas Egger’s first memory is of arriving in an Austrian mountain village in 1902 at about 4 years of age. His mother has died from tuberculosis—which some see as punishment for her living an “ an irresponsible life ” —and the only reason Andreas is allowed to stay with his uncle, farmer Hubert Kranzstocker, is because money comes with the boy. Andreas’ second memory is of being 8 years of age and beaten so badly by his uncle that his thigh is broken. After the bonesetter comes, Andreas spends 6 weeks lying down in the attic on a straw mattress. He limps for the rest of his life. Andreas never feels a part of the family, even though he sleeps in the same bed with the farmer’s children. For the whole of his time on the farm he remained an outsider, barely tolerated, the bastard of a sister-in-law who had been punished by God…To all intents and purposes he was not seen as a child. He was a creature whose function was to work, pray, and bare its bottom for the hazel rod (18). The only person on the farm who seems to care for Andreas is the farmer’s elderly mother, who dies when the boy is around 10 years of age. The uncle continues to beat Andreas until, at the age of 18 and strong from working on the farm, Andreas refuses to be violated anymore. He tells his uncle he’ll kill him if he tries again. Hubert Kranzstocker responds by banishing Andreas from the farm. Andreas begins his adult life by taking on casual labouring jobs. By the age of 29 he has saved enough money to buy a small plot of uncultivatable land; he is resolute about not farming and instead takes on a job blasting holes into the side of the mountain for a cable car company; cable cars taking tourists to the top of the mountain slopes are about to transform village life. One of my favourite scenes is Andreas’ marriage proposal to Marie: A second later sixteen lights flickered high up on the opposite side of the valley, moving in every direction like a swarm of fireflies. As they moved, the lights seemed to lose glowing drops which joined up, one by one, to form curving lines…FOR YOU, MARIE stood inscribed on the mountain in huge, flickering letters, visible for miles around to everyone in the valley (42). Andreas goes on to survive the devastating loss of his wife, 8 years in a prison of war camp in Russia, and the swarm of tourists to the village. Towards the end of his life, Andreas concludes that he has led a good life. As far as he knew, he had not burdened himself with any appreciable guilt and he never succumbed to the temptations of the world: to boozing, whoring and gluttony…He couldn’t remember where he had come from, and ultimately he didn’t know where he would go. But he could look back without regret on the time in between, his life, with a full-throated laugh and utter amazement (141). Although a simple story about a seemingly simple man, in A Whole Life Robert Seethaler asks profound questions about what it means to live a good life, about the human capacity to survive upheaval and adapt to change, and about how to live a dignified life according to one’s own values. A Whole Life stayed with me for days; it’s a haunting, exquisitely written novella deserving of its nominations for the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award and the 2017 Man Booker International Prize . The translation by Charlotte Collins has also been recognised as A Whole Life was shortlisted for the 2017 National Translation Award .