Fiction by Care Experienced authors Nothing Natural Jenny Diski 1986 Nothing Natural is the 1986 debut novel by Jenny Diski, initially published in hardback through Simon & Schuster. It follows a young woman who enters into a sadomasochistic relationship with a charming and domineering man. The book, perceived as an S&M-book by the New Yorker, received some backlash upon its release, as critic Anthony Thwaite criticized it as being "the most revolting book I've ever read," and the feminist magazine Sisterwrite chose to ban Diski from publishing with them. Rachel Kee is a depressed single mother who has been slowly withdrawing from the world around her. She's still suffering from the lasting effects of a disastrous childhood where her father abandoned his family, pushing Rachel's mother further into madness and prompting Rachel's removal and placement in a foster home. When she meets Joshua, she's almost instantly drawn to him. The two begin to indulge in a sadomasochistic relationship where Joshua will appear for a rough session of sex and then disappear for months on end. Eventually Rachel begins to question the relationship, especially after reading about the kidnapping and rape of a young girl, complete with a composite sketch that greatly resembles Joshua. External Website

Writers Nadia Wheatley Nadia Wheatley was born in Sydney in NSW. At the age of 9 she went into informal foster after the death of her mother. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Sydney (1970) and a Masters from Macquarie University (1976). She was also award an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sydney in 2014. Nadia Wheatley has written children's books (many of which have received awards), biography and memoir. Her biography of another Australian writer, Charmian Clift, was awarded a NSW History Award in 2002. External Website

Films/Videos Carefree 2020 Video was made after a script session with young people in a care home in East London. It was a combined decision that it would be better than insread of basing characters on themselves that they were trained up as actors and that we would workshop stories that are not their own life stories but other people they have come across in care. All of the kids in the home were also given crew responsibilities and took part in the final edit. External Website

Writers Dennis Leoutsakas Dennis Leoutsakas grew up in the American foster care system. He has a Bachelor of Science from CUNY and a Master of Arts (Organizational Pyschology External Website

Radio & Podcast Foundling: Found Episode 7, Mo Jamil Julian Brown 2021 Foundling: Found is a podcast series, hosted by care-leaver Julian Brown, that investigates the real stories of care, from the Foundling Hospital archives dating back to 1739, right through to the present day. Setting the stigma surrounding those with care experience against those real stories. Over the course of 12 episodes, Julian will be joined by some very special guests as he uncovers the fact and the individuals behind the media and literature fiction. On today's episode, Julian is joined by the incredible singer, recording artist and all round amazing person Mo Jamil, about his experiences of both care, leaving it and the power of writing music to process that. External Website

Films/Videos Auntie Mame 1958 Patrick Dennis, orphaned in 1928 when his father Edwin dies unexpectedly, is placed in the care of his aunt Mame Dennis in Manhattan. Mame is flamboyant and exuberant, hosting frequent parties with a variety of guests and free-spirited friends Mr. Babcock (Fred Clark), Patrick's assigned executor, objects to Mame's unconventional way of living and tries to force her to send Patrick to prep school. As Mame and Patrick grow closer, Mr. Babcock tries to discipline Patrick and threatens to separate the two if Mame does not comply with his wishes. External Website

Sport Olympic Medallist Kenny Bednarek 2x Olympian and 2x Silver Medalist in the 2024 Olympics Kenny Bednarek is an American track and field sprinter. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and his fraternal twin brother, Ian, were placed in foster care due to abuse and neglect. Age 4, he and his brother were adopted by Mary Bednarek and moved to Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Both brothers took to running youth track starting in the second grade. Running for Rice Lake High School, Kenny won seven individual state titles and led his team to a 4×400 relay championship. “When I was in high school, I loved sports, but I also had a lot of feelings of insecurity and a lack of belonging,” recalled Kenny. “I always said I wanted to be an Olympian, but I think at the time, I wasn’t really thinking about what that required. I was just going through the motions.” When Kenny discovered track and field, he unlocked a new part of himself. He finally had a way to channel his energy into a positive and productive outlet. He defied the odds and started breaking records while running track there, quickly going pro. Most recently, he qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events. His message to those touched by foster care and adoption is one of hope. “I want to inspire others and those who may have similar experiences and promote safety and stability for all children,” said Kenny. External Website

Films/Videos The Family 2016 Australian Anne Hamilton-Byrne headed an apocalyptic sect called The Family, which was prominent in Melbourne from the 1960s through to the 1990s. Hamilton-Byrne acquired numerous children and raised them as her own.The children were controlled through beatings, drugs and starvation and not rescued until 1987. External Website

Children's Fiction Madeline Ludwig Bemelmans 1996 "In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines." Our first introduction to the twelve little girls and Miss Clavel. Something is not right with Madeline. She wakes up with a terrible pain one night - it's her appendix! She has to go to hospital to have it taken out. Her friends are sad and miss her very much. But when they visit and find her surrounded by all her presents - and, best of all, see her new scar - they all decide they want their appendixes out too! External Website

Radio & Podcast Voices Unheard: Exploring Stigma of Children in Care through History to Modern Day with Dr Annie Skinner Annie Skinner 2024 Voices Unheard: Exploring Stigma of Children in Care through History to Modern Day with Dr Annie Skinner. Oxford Brookes Research Fellow and Social Historian, Dr Annie Skinner takes us on a journey through time to explore the history of stigmatisation of children in care and outlines the landscape of today. Annie's research focuses on identifying the hidden and unheard perspectives of the children themselves and liberates the silent voices behind these social histories. External Website

Poets Louise Wallwein (poet) Louise Wallwein Louise Wallwein MBE is an award-winning playwright, poet and performer. She grew up in children's homes in the UK; she lived in thirteen different homes. Louise wrote her first play at the age of 17 and her career took off in 1998. Her plays have been broadcast by the BBC and she was Poet in Residence in Queensland, Australian in 2006 and Writer in Residence at the Centre for Creative Writing in Winnipeg, Canada also in 2006. External Website

Television Shows Father Brown 2013 Father Brown is a TV series starring Mark Williams, Sorcha Cusack, and John Burton. Series inspired by the stories of GK Chesterton; a Catholic priest has a knack for solving mysteries in his English village. In Series 5, Episode 2, the adopted son of a murdered woman is arrested - it is assumed he committed the crime because he has the most to gain financially from his mother's death. The neighbor confesses to the crime at Father Brown prompting. External Website

Authors D Robert Duncan ➝ Eliza Hamilton Dunlop (poet) ➝ Back to Top

Actors Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine, (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr., 14 March 1933) is an English actor, producer, and author who has appeared in more than 130 films in a career spanning over 60 years. He is considered a British film icon. Known for his cockney accent, Caine was born in south-east London and evacuated during World War II. When his mother discovered his being ill treated in foster care, she took him back to London immediately. Michael Caine made his breakthrough in the 1960s with starring roles in British films, including Zulu (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), Alfie (1966), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, The Italian Job (1969), and Battle of Britain (1969). He achieved some of his greatest critical success in the 1980s, with Educating Rita (1983), earning him the BAFTA and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. As of February 2017, films which he has starred in have grossed over $3.5 billion domestically and over $7.8 billion worldwide. Caine is ranked as the twentieth-highest-grossing box office star.Caine is one of only two actors nominated for an Academy Award for acting in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s. External Website

Radio & Podcast The Refugee Who Led a Software Revolution – with Ben Walter Cautionary Tales 2026 Stephanie (Steve) Shirley (1933-2025) was Vera Buchthal when she arrived in England via the Kindertransport at the age of 5. She (& her older sister) lived in foster care, continuing to do so when her birth parents came searching for her. Stephanie Shirley went on to found her own software development company in 1962 . In this edition of Cautionary Tales, host Tim Harford talks with Ben Walter about the life of Stephanie Shirley, including her childhood & the sexism she encountered in the workplace which led to her setting up her own business. External Website

Radio & Podcast The Unsent Letters of Erik Satie BBC Radio 4 2013 Alistair McGowan travels to Paris on the trail of his musical hero, the eccentric composer Erik Satie. Erik Satie was in kinship care with his paternal grandparents for 6 years from the age of 6. External Website

Children's Fiction Fablehouse E.L. Norry 2023 Fablehouse is no ordinary children's home. For Heather and her friends, it’s a sanctuary from a world that rejects them for the colour of their skin. But a new, far darker threat looms. When strange spirits invade the house and begin stealing the children away, Heather and her friends are drawn into the depths of the underworld. There, in a magical court of Arthurian legend, they discover enchanted beings plotting to conquer the human world. With Pal, the brave Black Knight, as their ally, they must resist the Fae’s beguiling magic and face the formidable Champion. Do they have the courage and strength to save their home before it’s too late? External Website

Children's Fiction My Bright Shining Star Fatima Whitbread (Author), Rhian Wright (Illustrator) 2024 My Bright Shining Star is a picture book about Little Fatima’s journey in care supported by Aunty Rae, a source of care and encouragement at the children's home. Aunty Rae fills Fatima's life with warmth and hope, becoming her brightest light. The book emphasizes how acts of love and compassion can transform lives, making it a poignant message for families everywhere. Written by Olympic medallist Fatima Whitbread and inspired by her own childhood in care, the story includes an inspiring account of her adoption and successful career, offering a comforting and empowering perspective on growing up in care. Rhian Wright is the illustrator. External Website

News - broadcast, print, internet, magazine articles Biden issues 'long overdue' apology for federal Indigenous boarding schools PBS NewsHour 2024 On 26 October 2024 US President Joe Biden formally apologised for the US policy that forcibly separated generations of Native Americans from their families and sent them to boarding schools for the purpose of forced assimilation into white society. “I formally apologise” said Joe Biden, “as President of the United States of America for what we did. I formally apologise. I have a solemn responsibility to be the first President to apologise to Native peoples, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Native Alaskans … Frankly, there’s no excuse that this apology took 50 years to make…the Federal Indian Boarding School policy, the pain it has caused, will always be a significant mark of shame, a blot on American history." For more information on what was called the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, see https://www.doi.gov/priorities/strengthening-indian-country/federal-indian-boarding-school-initiative External Website

Autobiography/Memoir Choice or Constraint in Everyday Life Judith Anne Brooker 2015 Judith describes the opportunity she had as a mature woman to attend Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. She uses the skills she was learning in sociology to think about her life as a rebellious 14 year old who was made a ward of the state. External Website