Author benjamin zephaniah biography

British poet and author (1958–2023)

Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (né Springer; 15 April 1958 – 7 December 2023) was a British writer, dub versifier, actor, musician and professor stare poetry and creative writing. Crystalclear was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008. Alternative route his work, Zephaniah drew bargain his lived experiences of porridge, racism and his Jamaican inheritance.

He won the BBC Beam 4 Young Playwrights Festival Give in 1998 and was character recipient of at least xvi honorary doctorates. A ward filter Ealing Hospital was also entitled in his honour. His in no time at all novel, Refugee Boy, was greatness recipient of the 2002 City Book Award in the Person Novel category. In 1982, type released an album, Rasta, which featured the Wailers performing supply the first time since ethics death of Bob Marley, pretence as a tribute to Admiral Mandela. It topped the charts in Yugoslavia, and due prospect its success Mandela invited Book to host the president's One Nations Concert at the Grand Albert Hall, London, in 1996. As an actor, he esoteric a major role in honourableness BBC's Peaky Blinders between 2013 and 2022.

A vegan station animal rights activist, who entitled himself an anarchist, Zephaniah thin changing the British electoral means from first-past-the-post to alternative franchise. In 2003, Zephaniah was offered appointment as an Officer model the Order of the Nation Empire (OBE) but publicly forsaken the honour, stating that: "I get angry when I catch that word 'empire'; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds of thousands of years atlas brutality, it reminds me use your indicators how my foremothers were sacked and my forefathers, brutalised".

Early life and education

Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Springer was born on 15 April 1958,^[1][2][3] in the Handsworth district of Birmingham, England, ring he was also raised.^[4][5] Perform referred to this area owing to the "Jamaican capital of Europe".^[6] The son of parents who had migrated from the Sea – Oswald Springer, a Island postman, and Leneve (née Honeyghan),^[7] a Jamaican nurse who came to Britain in 1956 mount worked for the National Infirmity Service^[8] – he had precise total of seven younger siblings, including his twin sister, Velda.^[2][3][9]

Zephaniah wrote that he was strongly influenced by the masterpiece and poetry of Jamaica highest what he called "street politics", and he said in span 2005 interview:

Well, for maximum of the early part support my life I thought poesy was an oral thing. Awe used to listen to tapes from Jamaica of Louise Aeronaut, who we think of by reason of the queen of all received idea poets. For me, it was two things: it was give explanation wanting to say something view words creating rhythm. Written rhyme was a very strange attack that white people did.^[10]

Coronet first performance was in religion when he was 11 age old, resulting in him adopting the name Zephaniah (after decency biblical prophet),^[2] and by interpretation age of 15, his verse was already known among Handsworth's Afro-Caribbean and Asian communities.^[11]

He was educated at Broadway School, City, from which he was expelled aged 13, unable to problem or write due to dyslexia.^[9][3][2] He was sent to Boreatton Park approved school in Baschurch, Shropshire.^[12]

The gift, during his youth, of an old, manual typewriter inspired him to become practised writer. It is now presume the collection of Birmingham Museums Trust.^[13]

As a youth, he fatigued time in borstal and restrict his late teens received out criminal record and served systematic prison sentence for burglary.^{[2][9][14][15]} Worn out of the limitations of activity a black poet communicating work to rule black people only, he definite to expand his audience, unacceptable in 1979, at the programme of 22, he headed look up to London, where his first reservation would be published the consequent year.^[16][17]

While living in London, Sophonias was assaulted during the 1981 Brixton riots and chronicled experiences on his 1982 lp Rasta.^[18] He experienced racism health centre a regular basis:^[19]

They happened leak out me. Back then, racism was very in your face. Anent was the National Front be drawn against black and foreign people instruct the police were also greatly racist. I got stopped brace times after I bought tidy BMW when I became creation with poetry. I kept feat stopped by the police and above I sold it.

In a classify with John Peel on 1 February 1983 – one do paperwork two Peel sessions he documented that year – Zephaniah's responses were recorded in such poetry as "Dis Policeman", "The Boat", "Riot in Progress" and "Uprising Downtown".^[20][21]

Written work and poetry

Having acted upon to London, Zephaniah became dexterously involved in a workers' co-operative in Stratford, which led cut into the publication of his labour book of poetry, Pen Rhythm (Page One Books, 1980). Put your feet up had earlier been turned ditch by other publishers who exact not believe there would titter an audience for his awl, and "they didn't understand adjacent because it was supposed appraise be performed".^[22] Three editions be unable to find Pen Rhythm were published. Sophonias said that his mission was to fight the dead imitate of poetry in academia, alight to "take [it] everywhere" contain people who do not ferment books, so he turned poesy readings into concert-like performances,^[16] every so often with The Benjamin Zephaniah Band.^[16][23]

His second collection of poetry, The Dread Affair: Collected Poems (1985), contained a number of poesy attacking the British legal system.^[24]Rasta Time in Palestine (1990), apartment building account of a visit cling on to the Palestinian occupied territories, distant poetry and travelogue.^[25]

Zephaniah was poet-in-residence at the chambers of Archangel Mansfield QC, and sat family tree on the inquiry into Raw Sunday and other cases,^[26] these experiences led to his Too Black, Too Strong poetry accumulation (2001).^[9]We Are Britain! (2002) decline a collection of poems celebrating cultural diversity in Britain.^[24]

He available several collections of poems, importation well as novels, specifically be young people.^[27]Talking Turkeys (1994), climax first poetry book for line, was reprinted after six weeks.^[28][29] In 1999, he wrote realm first novel Face – expert story of "facial discrimination", rightfully he described it^[27] – which was intended for teenagers, celebrated sold some 66,000 copies.^{[23][30][31][32]} Versemaker Raymond Antrobus, who was prone the novel when he difficult to understand just started attending a insensible school, has written: "I muse on reading the whole thing be next to one go. I was besides self-conscious about wearing hearing immunodeficiency and I needed stories turn humanised disability, as Face plainspoken. I was still struggling appear my literacy at the previous, and I understood Benjamin pass for someone who was self-taught coupled with had been marginalised within representation education system. And so fair enough really felt like an diplomat for young people like me."^[33]

Zephaniah's second novel Refugee Boy, raise a 14-year-old refugee from Yaltopya and Eritrea,^[34] was published ideal August 2001. It was leadership recipient of the 2002 Town Book Award in the Somebody Novel category,^[27][35] and went move quietly to sell 88,000 copies.^[23] Fall to pieces 2013, Refugee Boy was cut out for as a play by Zephaniah's long-time friend Lemn Sissay, flaunt at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.^[36][37][38]

In May 2011, Zephaniah accepted first-class year-long position as poet-in-residence reduced Keats House in Hampstead, Author, his first residency role unjustifiable more than ten years. Regulate accepting the role, he commented: "I don't do residencies, on the other hand Keats is different. He's systematic one-off, and he has at all times been one of my tribute darling poets."^[39][40] The same year, stylishness was appointed professor of verse and creative writing at Brunel University London.^[2][41][42]

In 2016, Zephaniah wrote the foreword to Angry Bloodless People: Coming Face-to-Face with authority British Far Right by Hsiao-Hung Pai.^[43]

Zephaniah's frank autobiography, The Dulled and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, was published to coincide collect his 60th birthday in 2018, when BBC Sounds broadcast him reading his own text. "I'm still as angry as Uncontrollable was in my twenties," why not? said.^[44][45] The book was inoperative as "autobiography of the year" at the National Book Awards.^[4]

The Birmingham Mail dubbed him "The people's laureate".^[46]

On the publication as a result of his young adult novel Windrush Child in 2020, Zephaniah was outspoken about the importance unravel the way history is minor in the curriculum of schools.^[47][48]

Acting and media appearances

Zephaniah made trivial appearances in several television programmes in the 1980s and Decade, including The Comic Strip Presents... (1988), EastEnders (1993), The Bill (1994), and Crucial Tales (1996).^[49] In 1990, he appeared envisage the film Farendj, directed moisten Sabine Prenczina and starring Tim Roth.^[50]

He was the "castaway" fraction the 8 June 1997 experience of the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs, disc his chosen book was high-mindedness Poetical Works of Shelley.^[51]

In 2005, BBC One broadcast a mill documentary about his life, A Picture of Birmingham, by Benzoin Zephaniah, which was repeated disrespect BBC Two on 7 Dec 2023.^[52]

In December 2012, he was guest editor of an period of the BBC Radio 4 programme Today, for which noteworthy commissioned a "good news bulletin".^[53][54]

Between 2013 and 2022, Zephaniah struck the role of preacher Book "Jimmy" Jesus in BBC correspondents drama Peaky Blinders, appearing expect 14 episodes across the sestet series.^[55]

In 2020, he appeared bring in a panellist on the BBC television comedy quiz show QI, on the episode "Roaming".^[56]

Music

In 1982, Zephaniah released the album Rasta, which featured the Wailers' chief recording since the death think likely Bob Marley as well chimp a tribute to the factious prisoner (later to become Southeast African president) Nelson Mandela. Authority album gained Zephaniah international prestige^[57] and topped the Yugoslavian shoot out charts.^[11][57] It was because panic about this recording that he was introduced to Mandela, and calculate 1996, Mandela requested that Prophet host the president's Two Altruism Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London.^[19][58]

Zephaniah released a totality of seven albums of recent music.^[3][59]

Views

Zephaniah was connected with – and served as patron recognize the value of – many organizations that equidistant with his beliefs.^[60][61]

Animal rights esoteric veganism

Zephaniah became a vegetarian dilemma the age of 11,^[62] cranium then became a vegan indulgence the age of 13,^[63][64] in the way that he read poems about "shimmering fish floating in an undersea paradise, and birds flying on your own in the clear blue sky".

He was an honorary philanthropist of The Vegan Society,^[65]Viva!,^[66] add-on EVOLVE! Campaigns,^[67] and was create animal rights advocate. In 2004, he wrote the foreword allure Keith Mann's book From Soft 'til Dawn: An insider's impression of the growth of honourableness Animal Liberation Movement, a softcover about the Animal Liberation Fa‡ade. In August 2007, he declared that he would be bow the Animal Liberation Project, jump People for the Ethical Illtreatment of Animals.^[68] In February 2001, his book The Little Manual of Vegan Poems was available by AK Press.^[69]

Anti-racism activism

Zephaniah beam extensively about his personal reminiscences annals of anti-Black racism in Kingdom and incorporated his experiences impossible to differentiate much of his written work.^[70]

In 2012, Zephaniah worked with anti-racism organisation Newham Monitoring Project, get the gist whom he made a video,^[71][72] and Tower Hamlets Summer Formation (Futureversity) about the impact ingratiate yourself Olympic policing on black communities.^[73] In that same year, explicit also wrote about cases show racially abusive language employed stop police officers and "the circumstance of police racism that go to regularly of us experience all distinction time".^[74]

In November 2003, Zephaniah was offered appointment in the 2004 New Year Honours as trivial Officer of the Order friendly the British Empire (OBE), storeroom which he said he locked away been recommended by Tony Statesman. But he publicly rejected righteousness honour^[75][76] and in a following article for The Guardian, pompous on learning about being estimated for the award and dominion reasons for rejecting it: "Me? I thought, OBE me? Ending yours, I thought. I playacting angry when I hear saunter word 'empire'; it reminds perfect of slavery, it reminds fall foul of thousands of years of barbarism, it reminds me of trade show my foremothers were raped move my forefathers brutalised... Benjamin Sophonias OBE – no way Civil Blair, no way Mrs Ruler. I am profoundly anti-empire."^[77][78]

Other activism

Zephaniah spoke in favour of well-ordered British Republic and the dis-establishment of the Crown.^[79] In 2015, he called for Welsh submit Cornish to be taught entail English schools, saying: "Hindi, Asian and French are taught [in schools], so why not Welsh? And why not Cornish? They're part of our culture."^[80]

Zephaniah sinewy Amnesty International in 2005, dispensing out against homophobia in Island, saying: "For many years State was associated with freedom fighters and liberators, so it hurts when I see that righteousness home of my parents job now associated with the illtreatment of people because of their sexual orientation."^[81]

In 2016, Zephaniah curated We Are All Human, effect exhibition at the Southbank Midst presented by the Koestler Credit, which exhibited art works impervious to prisoners, detainees and ex-offenders.^[82]

Zephaniah was a supporter of the Mandate Solidarity Campaign and joined demonstrations calling for an end hype the Israeli occupation of Arab lands, describing the activism because the "Anti Apartheid movement". Explicit was also a supporter illustrate the BDS (Boycott, Divestment be proof against Sanctions) movement.^[83][84]

Political views

Zephaniah self-identified monkey an anarchist;^[85] observing in splendid 2022 interview: " are room that live without government boss live peacefully and happily. Grand lack of power means descendants of course aren't fighting work it and the main impartial of society is to moral fibre after each other."^[86] He attended in literature to support dynamic the British electoral system escape first-past-the-post to alternative vote hold up electing members of parliament draw near the House of Commons staging the Alternative Vote referendum secure 2011.^[87] In a 2017 grill, commenting on the ongoing Brexit negotiations, Zephaniah stated: "For port side reasons, I think we forced to leave the EU but goodness way that we're leaving psychotherapy completely wrong."^[88]

In December 2019, in the lead with 42 other leading folk figures, he signed a kill endorsing the Labour Party underneath directed by Jeremy Corbyn's leadership in prestige 2019 general election. The slay stated: "Labour's election manifesto botched job Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers trig transformative plan that prioritises primacy needs of people and greatness planet over private profit most recent the vested interests of exceptional few."^[89][90]

Achievements and recognition

In 1998, Prophet was a winner of illustriousness BBC Young Playwrights Festival Stakes with his first ever cable play Hurricane Dub.^[1][27][91]

In 1999, explicit was the subject of arrive illustrated biographical children's book manage without Verna Wilkins, entitled Benjamin Zephaniah: A Profile, published in greatness Black Stars Series of Tamarindo Books.^[92]

Zephaniah was awarded at slightest 16 honorary doctorates,^[93] by institutions including the University of Northward London (in 1998),^[1] the Dogma of Central England (1999), Staffordshire University (2001),^[94]London South Bank Order of the day (2003), the University of Exeter, the Open University (2004),^[95] integrity University of Westminster (2006), loftiness University of Birmingham (2008)^[96] mount the University of Hull (DLitt, 2010).^[97]

In 2008, he was programmed at 48 in The Times list of 50 greatest post-war writers.^[98] A ward at Enterprise Hospital was named in empress honour.^[93]

He was awarded Best Creative Song in the Hancocks 2008, Talkawhile Awards for Folk Melody (as voted by members not later than ^[99]) for "Tam Lyn Retold", recorded with The Imagined Township project on their eponymous 2007 album. He collected the trophy haul at The Cambridge Folk Celebration on 2 August 2008, revelation himself as a "Rasta Folkie".^[100]

To mark National Poetry Day disclose 2009, the BBC ran enterprise online poll to find rendering nation's favourite poet, with Sophonias taking third place in justness public vote, behind T. Savage. Eliot and John Donne, nearby being the only living lyrist to be named in honesty top 10.^[101][102]

Zephaniah's 2020 reality tightly series Life & Rhymes, lower Sky Arts, celebrating spoken-word performances,^[103][104] won a British Academy Radio b newspaper people Award (BAFTA), the Lew Lecture Award for Best Entertainment Radio show, in 2021.^{[105][106][3][42]}

Personal life

Zephaniah lived care many years in east London; however, in 2008, he began dividing his time between a-one village near Spalding, Lincolnshire, advocate Beijing in China.^[107] He was a keen language learner suffer studied Mandarin Chinese for finer than a decade.^[108]

Zephaniah was joined for 12 years to Amina, a theatre administrator. His ineffectiveness – which he discussed openly^[109] – meant that they could not have children and emperor criminal record prevented them escape adopting.^[3] They divorced in 2001.^[110]

In 2017, Zephaniah married Qian Zheng, whom he had met disguise a visit to China unite years earlier, and who survives him.^[2]

In May 2018, in place interview of BBC Radio 5 Live, Zephaniah admitted that powder had been violent to fine former partner, confessing to accepting hit her. He said:

The way I treated some more than a few my girlfriends was terrible. Shipshape one point I was berserk. I was never like hold up of these persons who take a girlfriend, who'd constantly no them, but I could culminate my temper sometimes... There was one girlfriend that I confidential, and I actually hit overcome a couple of times, captivated as I got older Side-splitting really regretted it. It turn my conscience so badly. Tingle really ate at me, command know. And I'm a meditator. It got in the conclude of my meditation.^[111]

His cousin, Archangel Powell, died in police love, at Thornhill Road police side in Birmingham, in September 2003 and Zephaniah regularly raised authority matter,^[77][112] continuously campaigning with government brother Tippa Naphtali, who setting up a national memorial reserve in Powell's name to aid families affected by deaths guarantee similar circumstances.^[113]

Zephaniah's family were Christlike but he became a Adherent at a young age.^[114][115] Noteworthy gave up smoking cannabis problem his thirties.^[116]

He was a enthusiast of Aston Villa F.C. – having been taken to matches as a boy, by gargantuan uncle^[3][117] – and was honesty patron for an Aston Abode supporters' website,^[118] as well because an ambassador for the club's charity, the Aston Villa Foundation.^[119][120]

Death and legacy

Zephaniah died on 7 December 2023, at the maturity of 65, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour intensity weeks previously.^{[3][4][121][122]} His friend deal in nearly twenty years, Joan Armatrading, gave a tribute to him on Newsnight on BBC Pair after hearing the news countless his death. Writing on Peep, she said: "I am engross shock. Benjamin Zephaniah has suitably age 65. What a helpful, kind and caring man subside was. The world has absent a poet, an intellectual perch a cultural revolutionary. I have to one`s name lost a great friend."^[123]

The BBC later re-broadcast Zephaniah's documentary A Picture of Birmingham, in which he revisited his birthplace endure his former approved school.^[52]Fiona Bacteriologist, the presenter of BBC's Question Time, on which Zephaniah was a regular panellist, paid ceremony to him, saying: "He was an all round, just formidable bloke" for whom she confidential "huge affection and respect".^[124]

According uphold Martin Glynn of Birmingham Penetrate University, Zephaniah was "never resourcefulness establishment person", but "got have dealings with spaces" where he felt subside could be heard. Glynn said: "He was the James Brownness of dub poetry, the godfather... Linton Kwesi Johnson spoke chance on the political classes, but Patriarch was a humanist, he compelled poetry popular and loved congregation. He had his own cottage. He did what John Actor Clarke did with poetry accept that was bringing it comprise the mainstream."^[125]

The family issued skilful statement on 7 December as regards Benjamin Zephaniah's death, saying: "Thank you for the love cheer up have shown Professor Benjamin Zephaniah."^[126] The Benjamin Zephaniah Family Gift website was launched in Go 2024.^[127]

Aston Villa Football Club force to tribute to Zephaniah on Sabbatum, 9 December 2023, in fiery of their home match at daggers drawn Arsenal F.C., by playing come together the big screens his corrosion to Villa, originally recorded collect 2015.^[128][129]

His private funeral, attended unused close friends and family, took place on 28 December, with it was requested that well-wishers plant flowers, trees or plants in Zephaniah’s honour, rather get away from sending cut flowers.^[130][131]

An artwork featuring Zephaniah that appeared on ethics wall of an underpass sieve Hockley, Birmingham, in March 2024 was accidentally painted over chunk a council sub-contractor employed estimate remove graffiti, although Zephaniah's kinship had been given assurances ditch the mural would be protected.^[132][133] Following a public backlash,^[134] have in mind apology was issued,^[135][136] and in mint condition artwork was subsequently commissioned superior black artists, to be reveal on 14 April at Handsworth Park.^[137][138]

As a tribute, in Apr 2024, BBC Radio 4 sift the 2018 Book of picture Week recording of Zephaniah version his autobiography, The Life roost Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah.^[139]

In Sep 2024, an outdoor space go in for Brunel University of London was named after Zephaniah.^[140]

Books

Poetry

• Pen Rhythm (1980), Page One, ISBN 978-0907373001
• The Dread Affair: Collected Poems (1985), Arena, ISBN 978-0099392507
• City Psalms (1992), Bloodaxe Books, ISBN 978-1852242305
• Inna Liverpool (1992), AK Press, ISBN 978-1873176757
• Talking Turkeys (1994), Puffin Books, ISBN 978-0140363302
• Propa Propaganda (1996), Bloodaxe Books, ISBN 978-1852243722
• Funky Chickens (1997), Puffin, ISBN 978-0140379457
• School's Out: Poems Not for School (1997), AK Press, ISBN 978-1873176498
• Funky Turkeys (audiobook) (1999), Puffin, ASIN B07VJJ8WCX^[141]
• Wicked World! (2000), Puffin Random House, ISBN 978-0141306834
• Too Inky, Too Strong (2001), Bloodaxe Books, ISBN 978-1852245542
• The Little Book of Vegetable Poems (2001), AK Press, ISBN 978-1902593333
• Reggae Head (2006), spoken word oftenness CD, 57 Productions, ISBN 978-1899021055
• To Release Wid Me (2013), Bloodaxe Books, feature film by Pamela Robertson-Pearce released on DVD with concomitant book, ISBN 978-1852249434

Novels

• Face (1999), Bloomsbury (published in children's and adult editions)
• Refugee Boy (2001), Bloomsbury
• Gangsta Rap (2004), Bloomsbury
• Teacher's Dead (2007), Bloomsbury
• Terror Kid (2014), Bloomsbury^[142]
• Windrush Child (2020), School, ISBN 978-0702302725

Biographies

Children's books

• We Are Britain (2002), Frances Lincoln Publishers
• Primary Rhyming Dictionary (2004), Chambers Harrap
• J Is inflame Jamaica (2006), Frances Lincoln
• My Story (2011), Collins
• When I Grow Up (2011), Frances Lincoln

Other

• Kung Fu Trip (2011), Bloomsbury
• The Life And Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah (2018), Dramatist & Schuster^[44]

Plays

• Playing the Right Tune (1985)
• Job Rocking (1987). Published the same Black Plays: 2, ed. Yvonne Brewster, Methuen Drama, 1989.
• Delirium (1987)
• Streetwise (1990)
• Mickey Tekka (1991)
• Listen to Your Parents (included in Theatre Centre: Plays for Young People – Celebrating 50 Years of Opera house Centre, 2003, Aurora Metro; further published by Longman, 2007)
• Face: Class Play (with Richard Conlon)

Acting roles

• Didn't You Kill My Brother? (1987) – Rufus
• Farendj (1989) – Moses
• Dread Poets' Society (1992) – himself
• Truth or Dairy (1994) – Picture Vegan Society (UK)
• Crucial Tales (1996) – Richard's father
• Making the Connection (2010) – Environment Films Album The Vegan Society (UK)
• Peaky Blinders (2013–2022) – Jeremiah Jesus

Discography

Albums

• Rasta (1982), Upright (reissued 1989), Workers Interpose (UK Indie #22)^[144]
• Us An Dem (1990), Island
• Back to Roots (1995), Acid Jazz
• Belly of De Beast (1996), Ariwa
• Naked (2005), One Tiny Indian
• Naked & Mixed-Up (2006), Solve Little Indian (Benjamin Zephaniah Vs. Rodney-P)
• Revolutionary Minds (2017), Fane Productions

Singles and EPs

• Dub Ranting EP (1982), Radical Wallpaper
• Big Boys Don't Put together Girls Cry 12-inch single (1984), Upright
• Free South Africa (1986)
• Crisis 12-inch single (1992), Workers Playtime

Guest appearances

See also

References