Lemn Sissay spent the first 17 years of his life in state care. His birth mother was an Ethiopian student living in London, and the Christian fundamentalist couple who took him in believed that the young boy's body was the refuge of Satan. Sissay, who is a poet, has turned his quest to find his birth family into a solo show, Something Dark, which has been applauded for its beauty and humour. You can share it with him at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre next Thursday and Saturday (October 19 and 21). Sissay will also appear at the Vancouver International Writers Festival on Granville Island (October 17 to 22).