Jackie Kay, one of Britain’s most loved and lauded poets, a playwright and writer, and from 2016 until 2021 the Scots’ Makar, the Poet Laureate for Scotland, is to feature in an upcoming episode of BBC One’s In My Own Words.
Kay’s unique and emotive work spans race, gender and identity, woven with tenderness and humour, often drawing from her own unusual beginnings.
In this episode of In My Own Words Jackie Kay recounts her extraordinary life story: born to a Scottish mother and Nigerian father she was adopted as a baby by Helen and John Kay, active Communist Party members, whose passion for politics and a fairer society fuelled Jackie’s path in life and her writing.
Reflecting on her journey from adopted child to award-winning poet, she recounts the adversity she has experienced: from racist bullying at primary school to the motorcycle accident which ended her sporting ambitions but set her on her path to being a writer; the long and emotional journey to find her birth parents and the more recent process of grieving her beloved adoptive parents.
The film finds Jackie at the height of her success, looking forward to a new chapter in her life and work – her words a testament to a life of political activism and a tribute to her past.
In My Own Words is BBC Arts’ new documentary strand exploring the life and work of some of the UK’s leading cultural figures.
In My Own Words: Jackie Kay is a BBC Studios Specialist Factual Production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The Executive Producer is Tanya Hudson and the Producer/ Director is Louise Lockwood. It was commissioned for BBC Arts by Mark Bell.
The show will screen on BBC One (time tbc) and be made available on iPlayer on Monday, September 23.
