The Adoptee Who Created Fairy Tales to Survive the Truth

When South African playwright Anthony Akerman discovered he was adopted at age 10, his adoption journey took a dramatic turn. For nearly three decades, sealed adoption records kept him from knowing his birth name was actually Peter Farnham or that his birth father was heir to a famous wine dynasty. At 38, Anthony finally gained access to identifying information, leading to an emotional adoption reunion with his birth mother at 40. But their relationship became a rollercoaster of connection and rejection, with his birth mother eventually abandoning him again years later. Anthony's adoption story in his memoir "Lucky Bastard" chronicles how being an adopted child shaped his identity, fueled abandonment issues in relationships, and drove his decades-long search for birth parents. This episode explores why adoptees need origin stories, the complexities of adoption reunions, and how the search for biological family can heal - even when the endings aren't perfect. You'll hear about the moment everything Anthony believed about himself shattered and how that discovery launched an adoption search across continents.

Find out more about Anthony Akerman:

Bio (theatrelives.co.za) - anthony-akerman

LinkedIn - anthony-akerman

Books - Lucky Bastard & Somewhere on the Border