Whose Song to Sing? by Ben Wildsmith is a memoir-in-essays about adoption, identity, and belonging.
Wildsmith traces his journey from childhood privilege through family breakdown, addiction, and despair, moving between Birmingham, South Wales, and abroad. As an adoptee, he wrestles with questions of culture, authenticity, and where he truly fits.
Anchored by the music and stories of the Welsh Valleys—passed down by his adoptive grandfather—the book shows how identity can be shaped creatively through culture and community. Honest, ironic, and often comic, it ultimately presents belonging as something built rather than inherited.