Blogs/Web Pages/Articles Trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Determinism and Stigma... Jack Brookes 2019 In this blog, Jack Brookes writes about some of the concerns he has about some of the discussion regarding ACEs and childhood trauma. External Website

Performing Arts Guitarist-singer-songwriter B B King African American blues singer-song writer, BB King (1925-2015), was born Riley B King to sharecroppers in Mississippi. His father deserted the family when Riley was young and his mother died when he was 10. It’s not clear with whom Riley lived from then, some sources say his grandmother, others say other relatives. In 1949, King left for Memphis then went on to Chicago where he soon was regularly performing at a nightclub. The following year, King signed with a Los Angeles based label, Modern Records, which specialised in jazz. From the 1960s, BB King toured all over the world. He continued touring and recording until shortly before his death in 2015. External Website

Films/Videos Patrik, Age 1.5 2008 Patrik, Age 1.5 is a Swedish film exploring prejudices toward gay men in the community (but not the ethics of adoption). Goran and Sven move into a new suburb (very Stepford like) and decide to adopt a child. Because of a typo, they take in a 15 year old who has been in an institution for years and who is homophobiac. External Website

Autobiography/Memoir While Passing Through Salaria Kee 1938 Salaria Kea O’Reilly (1913–1990) was brought up by her three brothers after her father was killed and her mother had to work away from home. She was an American nurse and desegregation activist who became the only African American nurse to serve with the Abraham Lincoln Battalion during the Spanish Civil War. Despite facing racism and rejection in the U.S., she fought segregation in hospitals, volunteered in Spain where she met her husband John O’Reilly, and later became one of the first Black nurses admitted to the U.S. Army during World War II. She published her Spanish memoir While Passing Through (1938), toured widely to share her experiences, and continued advocating for desegregation in healthcare until her retirement, later being honored in documentaries for her service and activism. External Website

Television Shows Mystery Road: Origin 2022 Mystery Road: Origin is the 3rd series in the popular Australian crime series. Series 3 is directed by Dylan River and is a prequel to first 2 Mystery Road series with Mark Coles Smith playing a young version of Jay Swan (played by Care Experienced actor Aaron Pederson in the 1st 2 series). It's not clear, but it seems that the 16-year-old boy whose Jack, was orphaned at the age of 12. He then ran away from the mission where he'd been living and was independent from then on. At the end of the series, a little girl is in the kinship care of her aunt because her parents have been imprisoned. Again, it's not clear, but it seems that the 16 year old boy who was murdered 8 years previously may also have been in foster or kinship care. In the 2nd series of Mystery Road: Origin, with Mark Coles Smith again playing a younger version of Jay Swan, the theme of child removal is central. Jay Swan arrives in the small town of Loch Iris where his pregnant partner Mary (Tuuli Narkle) has been living for a month. The year is 2000. The series, written by a First Nations team, then tells the story of a mission where Aboriginal Australian children were raised by nuns and where forced adoption was carried out. In case we think that is all in the past, there are children in ‘care’ now working a farm owned by the catholic church; Mary’s niece is living with her & Jay but is taken into state care; a teenage boy who was raised on the farm is terrified; and a young Aboriginal mother is desperately trying to get back the child the state has removed from her. External Website

Authors D Warrior Nun Areala ➝ Back to Top

Television Shows Grantchester 2014 Grantchester is a British TV series starring Robson Green, Tessa Peake-Jones, and Al Weaver. A Cambridgeshire clergyman finds himself investigating a series of mysterious wrongdoings in his small village of Grantchester. In Series 3, Episode 3, a murder suspect is identified because he has 'form', ie he was in Borstal as a teenager because of stealing. However, as the show progresses it is clear this was man was not the culprit. In Series 5, Episode 3, the murder victim is a young man who was in care as a child. He is a movie enthusiast, pretending he's American and a former scriptwriter with connections in Hollywood. He is killed by a young woman who finds out he can't help her become famous. In Series 6, Episode 2, the head of a local adoption agency is killed and the ethics of adoption is questioned. Series 8 opens with the murder of a young man who was orphaned as a child and taken in by another family. This is a “cuckoo in the next” story. The series initially featured Sydney Chambers (James Norton) as the vicar. Next was William Devenport (Tom Brittney) and from Season 9, it has been Alphy Kottaram (Rishi Nair). In series 10 it is revealed (from Episode 5) that Alphy Kottaram was a foundling and was raised in the Bithah Foundling Home. The man who runs the Foundling Home – which is closing - Stuart Potts (Paul Copley) is pleased to have him back and calls him Alpheus. In that same episode, one of the children, Joshua, falls down the stairs and dies. *Spoiler Alert* - it is one of the other children in the Home who is responsible for Joshua’s death. Discussion about what happened when Alphy was born and whether he should try to locate his mother is ongoing for the rest of the series. External Website

Writers Paolo Hewitt 1958- Paolo Hewitt was born in Redhill, Surry 11 July 1958, a British writer and music journalist. Paolo Hewitt spent eighteen years in care. He is author of over 20 books including Steve Marriot: All Too Beautiful, The Looked After Kid, The Jam: A Beat Concerto, But We All Shine On. Hewitt’s mother was from Italy and came to the UK in 1947. She had married a British soldier by the name of Hewitt and had 2 children. In 1952 she had a breakdown and was put into a mental institution. She had an affair and Hewitt was born in 1958. At 2 days old Hewitt was placed in care. He was fostered by an abusive foster carer from 4-10 years old. He was then place in a reception centre and then to Burbank children’s home in Woking, Surrey until 1976. “Then I decided I wanted to become a writer, but there were bylaws against people becoming writers in Woking so I had to move to London to achieve my aim.” External Website

Television Shows One Hundred Years of Solitude (TV series) 2024 The Nobel Prize winning Colombian writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1927-2014) was in kinship care as a small child. The boy lived for his grandparents for the first 8 years of his life, and they had a significant influence on his development. Both were excellent storytellers and his grandmother contributed to Marquez’ magic realism style. One Hundred Years of Solitude, a Spanish TV series based on Marquez’s 1967 eponymous novel, was released on Netflix on 11 December 2024. The series includes the story of an orphan, Rebecca, who is taken in and adopted by José Arcadio Buendía and Úrsula Iguarán. External Website

Authors Z The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India's Most Glamorous Royal Family ➝ Back to Top

Radio & Podcast The Self-Made Marilyn Monroe History Extra Podcast 2026 Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson, 1926–1962) was an American actress, model, and cultural icon. After having had a disrupted childhood which included foster care & orphanages, https://www.careexperienceandculture.com/master/marilyn-monroe-(actor) she became known for her comedic "blonde bombshell" characters. In this episode of the History Extra Podcast - & to celebrate that its been a 100 years since Monroe was born - academic Lucy Bolton talks about the “career driven and consistently ambitious side to Monroe that fuelled the creation of her star image”… https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-self-made-marilyn-monroe/id256580326?i=1000770182594 External Website

Autobiography/Memoir A personal journey towards healing and redress Ryszard Szablicki 2011 Recipes for Survival: Stories of Hope and Healing by Survivors of the State ‘Care’ System in Australia is a collection of stories by those who have grown up in care in Australia during the 20th century and is therefore contribution to a growing body of literature on the experiences of the Forgotten Australians. External Website

Writers Elizabeth Anionwu Dame Elzabeth Anionwu (b. 1947) is the daughter of an Irish woman and Nigerian father, Elizabeth had a disrupted childhood as she lived in a convent between periods of being with her single mother, which she talks about in her memoir, Mixed Blessings from a Cambridge Union (2016). Elizabeth Anionwu went on to become a specialist in treating the blood disorders, sickle-cell and thalessemia, created the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice at the University of West Lond, and earned a PhD. During her long career she publish many works related to sickle cell disease, as well as A short history of Mary Seacole (2005). Elzabeth Anionwu is the recipient of many awards, including being appointed a CBE in 2001, a Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing in 2004, and an Order of Merit in 2022. External Website

Writers Joseph Livesey Joseph Livesey (1794-1884) was orphaned at the age of 7, from which time he lived with his grandfather and an uncle. As an adult, Joseph became involved in local (Preston, Lancashire in England) politics, kicking off the Temperance Movement, publishing a monthly magazine The Moral Reformer (1831-1883) for 4 years, and then The Struggle as he agitated against the Corn Laws. In 1844 Joseph set up the Preston Guardian (which is still going but is now the Farmers Guardian), the Teetotal Progressionist in August 1851 (which lasted until May 1852), and the Staunch Teetotaller which lasted 2 years. In addition to many tracts (short treatise) and lectures he wrote, Joseph Livesey published his autobiography in 1881. External Website

Activists Social justice and recognition for children in care Lemn Sissay 1967- Lemn Sissay was one of the first people to link orphan literary heroes with young heroes in the care system. He is a British poet and activist whose work is deeply rooted in his own experiences growing up in the UK care system. Through poetry, public speaking, and writing, he sheds light on the mistreatment of children in care and advocates for systemic reform. His activism includes legal action, public awareness campaigns, and founding the Christmas Dinners, a nationwide initiative for young care leavers. Sissay uses his platform to promote justice, empathy, and support for marginalized youth, making him a powerful voice for change in social care and beyond. (Photo courtesy of Lemn Sissay; Photographer: Hamish Brown External Website

Radio & Podcast Adoption Beyond the Happy Ending: Trauma and the Stories that Shape Us Annalisa Toccara-Jones 2026 Care-Experienced People (Mini-Series) Episode 7 - Adoption Beyond the Happy Ending: Trauma and the Stories that Shape Us with Annalisa Toccara-Jones. A podcast created by Trauma-Informed Consultancy Services (TICS) to explore what it really means to build systems and relationships grounded in care, connection, and humanity. Hosted by Carrie Wilson. External Website

Television Shows American Horror Story: Asylum 2012 The 2nd season of American Horror Story, Asylum, includes 2 characters who were in foster care, 'Bloody Face' and his son, both brutal murderers. 'Bloody Face' is the nickname for psychiatrist Oliver Thredson (Zachary Quinto). His son, Johnny Morgan, also grew up in the foster care system and began skinning dead animals as a child. External Website

Children's Non-fiction Simone Biles Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara 2024 Growing up in foster care, Simone’s gymnastics training was an anchor in her life. She first tried the sport after visiting her local gym on a field trip. Coaches spotted her natural talent and, after years of hard work, she began winning world championships and Olympic gold medals. Widely cited as the greatest gymnast of all time, Simone is also an advocate for mental health awareness, having famously put her health before her sport by withdrawing from the 2020 Olympic finals. At the 2024 Olympics, Simone staged one of the most dramatic comebacks in sport history, propelling the U.S. team to win gold with her dazzling routines. This picture book tells her heroic story in a way that inspires young children to follow their dreams while taking care of themselves. External Website

Blogs/Web Pages/Articles Arthur Conan Doyle explored men’s mental health through his Sherlock Holmes stories The Conversation 2025 Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-193) was in foster care as a child before he was sent to boarding school. In this The Conversation article, academic Emma Linford talks about Doyle’s difficult childhood and that his father, Charles Doyle, was an alcoholic who spend time in various mental health facilities. His childhood is what influenced Doyle to represent Sherlock Holmes “as a man others can relate to – he battles with drug addiction, loneliness and depression. His genius thrives in part because of these vulnerabilities, not despite them” writes Linford. Linford goes on to give several examples of Sherlock Holmes stories which “examine male characters facing emotional catastrophe, betrayal or moral dilemmas.” https://theconversation.com/arthur-conan-doyle-explored-mens-mental-health-through-his-sherlock-holmes-stories-246728 External Website

Poetry Strong Black Woman Rebecca Olayinka 2021 Care Experienced Person Rebecca Olayinka has contributed a poem to this collection - "Strong Black Woman" External Website