Benjamin Zephaniah: Difference between revisions
Zephaniah wrote that his poetry is strongly influenced by the [[Music of Jamaica|music]] and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls “street politics”. His first performance was in church when he was 11 years old, and by the age of 15, his poetry was already known among Handsworth’s [[British African-Caribbean community|Afro-Caribbean]] and Asian communities.[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Larkin, Colin]] (1998), ”The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae”, Virgin Books, {{ISBN|0-7535-0242-9}}
Zephaniah wrote that his poetry is strongly influenced by the [[Music of Jamaica|music]] and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls “street politics”. His first performance was in church when he was 11 years old, and by the age of 15, his poetry was already known among Handsworth’s [[British African-Caribbean community|Afro-Caribbean]] and Asian communities.[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Larkin, Colin]] (1998), ”The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae”, Virgin Books, {{ISBN|0-7535-0242-9}}
As a young man,{{when|date=November 2021}} he received a criminal record and served a prison sentence for burglary.“[http://www.benjaminzephaniah.com/content/182.php ARTICLE: Interview with ”Raw Edge Magazine”: Benjamin talks about how life in prison helped change his future as a poet]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520171430/http://www.benjaminzephaniah.com/content/182.php |date=20 May 2009}}”, ”Raw Edge” magazine, issue 5, Autumn/Winter 1997. Tired of the limitations of being a black poet communicating with black people only, he decided to expand his audience, and headed to London at the age of 22.
As a young man,{{when|date=November 2021}} received a criminal record and served a prison sentence for burglary.“[http://www.benjaminzephaniah.com/content/182.php ARTICLE: Interview with ”Raw Edge Magazine”: Benjamin talks about how life in prison helped change his future as a poet]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520171430/http://www.benjaminzephaniah.com/content/182.php |date=20 May 2009}}”, ”Raw Edge” magazine, issue 5, Autumn/Winter 1997. Tired of the limitations of being a black poet communicating with black people only, he decided to expand his audience, and headed to London at the age of 22.
While living in London, Zephaniah was caught up in the [[1981 England riots|1980s race riots]] and experienced racism on a regular basis:{{Cite web|last=Maciuca|first=Andra|date=29 October 2019|title=Benjamin Zephaniah on Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley and race riots|url=https://www.saffronwaldenreporter.co.uk/things-to-do/benjamin-zephaniah-about-his-life-at-saffron-hall-5427336|access-date=29 April 2021|website=Saffron Walden Reporter|language=en-UK}}{{blockquote|”They happened around me. Back then, racism was very in your face. There was the [[National Front (UK)|National Front]] against black and foreign people and the police were also very racist. I got stopped four times after I bought a [[BMW]] when I became successful with poetry. I kept getting stopped by the police so I sold it.”}}
While living in London, Zephaniah was caught up in the [[1981 England riots|1980s race riots]] and experienced racism on a regular basis:{{Cite web|last=Maciuca|first=Andra|date=29 October 2019|title=Benjamin Zephaniah on Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley and race riots|url=https://www.saffronwaldenreporter.co.uk/things-to-do/benjamin-zephaniah-about-his-life-at-saffron-hall-5427336|access-date=29 April 2021|website=Saffron Walden Reporter|language=en-UK}}{{blockquote|”They happened around me. Back then, racism was very in your face. There was the [[National Front (UK)|National Front]] against black and foreign people and the police were also very racist. I got stopped four times after I bought a [[BMW]] when I became successful with poetry. I kept getting stopped by the police so I sold it.”}}
English poet and author (1958–2023)
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Benjamin Zephaniah |
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Zephaniah in 2018 |
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| Born | Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah 15 April 1958 Handsworth, Birmingham, England |
| Died | 6 December 2023 (aged 65) |
| Occupation | |
| Nationality | British |
| Genre | Poetry, teen fiction |
| Literary movement | |
| Years active | 1980–2023 |
| Spouse |
Amina (m. 1990; div. 2001) |
| benjaminzephaniah |
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Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (15 April 1958 – 6 December 2023)[1] was a British writer and dub poet. He was included in The Times list of Britain’s top 50 post-war writers in 2008.[2] He died in December 2023.[3]
Early life and education
Zephaniah was born and raised in the Handsworth district of Birmingham, England,[4] which he has called the “Jamaican capital of Europe”.[5] He is the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse.[6][7] A dyslexic, he attended an approved school but left aged 13 unable to read or write.[7] During his childhood he was given an old, manual typewriter which he says inspired him to become a writer. It is now in…