Benjamin Zephaniah
(1958-2023), Writer, dub poet and musicianSitter in 3 portraits
Born in Handsworth, Birmingham, the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse, Zephaniah made his name through performance poetry with a political edge, as well as novels and plays. He went on to write books for children and young adults, produce music recordings, and act in and write for television, film and radio productions. He refused to accept an OBE in 2003 stating "I get angry when I hear that word 'empire'; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds me of thousands of years of brutality."
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