British poet and 'Peaky Blinders' actor Benjamin Zephaniah dies

Helen Rowe, Agence France-Presse 

<blockquote class='instagram-media' data-instgrm-permalink='https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZcwo1Iy_H/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading' data-instgrm-version='14' style=' background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);'><div style='padding:16px;'><div style=' display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;'><div style='background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;'> </div><div style='display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;'><div style=' background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;'> </div><div style=' background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;'> </div></div></div><div style='padding: 19% 0;'> </div><div style='display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZcwo1Iy_H/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading' style=' background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;' target='_blank'><svg height='50px' version='1.1' viewbox='0 0 60 60' width='50px' xmlns='https://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'><g fill='none' fill-rule='evenodd' stroke='none' stroke-width='1'><g fill='#000000' transform='translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)'><g><path d='M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631'></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div><div style='padding-top: 8px;'><div style=' color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZcwo1Iy_H/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading' style=' background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;' target='_blank'>View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style='padding: 12.5% 0;'> </div><div style='display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;'><div><div style='background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);'> </div><div style='background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;'> </div><div style='background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);'> </div></div><div style='margin-left: 8px;'><div style=' background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;'> </div><div style=' width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)'> </div></div><div style='margin-left: auto;'><div style=' width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);'> </div><div style=' background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);'> </div><div style=' width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);'> </div></div></div><div style='display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;'><div style=' background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;'> </div><div style=' background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;'> </div></div><p style=' color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZcwo1Iy_H/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading' style=' color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;' target='_blank'>A post shared by Benjamin Zephaniah (@officialbenjaminzephaniah)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async src='https://www.instagram.com/embed.js' type='text/javascript'></script></p><p>LONDON — British poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who famously rejected an honor from Queen Elizabeth II over Britain's empire and links to slavery, died on Thursday at the age of 65, his family said.</p><p>The Rastafarian poet and writer, whose work was greatly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica, also turned his hand to acting when he appeared in series six of the hit show "Peaky Blinders" as the character Jeremiah Jesus.</p><p>"It is with great sadness and regret that we announce the death of our beloved husband, son and brother in the early hours of this morning 7th December 2023," his family said on Instagram, adding that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor eight weeks ago.</p><p>In 2003 he snubbed an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award from Queen Elizabeth for services to literature, which Zephaniah said prime minister Tony Blair had recommended.</p><p>He said the award's name reminded him of his ancestors' "brutal" suffering at the hands of their white masters.</p><p>"I get angry when I hear that word 'empire'; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds (me) of thousands of years of brutality -- it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalized," he said at the time.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/06/19/20/church-and-bank-of-england-apologize-for-slavery-roles'>Church and Bank of England apologize for slavery roles</a></li>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/06/24/19/britains-hsbc-to-help-modern-slaves-rebuild-lives-with-bank-access'>Britain's HSBC to help modern slaves 'rebuild lives' with bank access</a></li>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/06/18/14/domestic-workers-rally-against-modern-slavery-uk'>Domestic workers rally against modern slavery in UK</a></li></ul><p>Born in 1958 in the central English city of Birmingham, where "Peaky Blinders" is set, Zephaniah was the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse.</p><p>He was dyslexic and left school at the age of 13, unable to read or write, and as a young man served a prison sentence for burglary.</p><p>His first writings used dub poetry, a Jamaican style of work, and after moving to London in his twenties he began to establish himself as a poet.</p><p>His first book of poetry, "Pen Rhythm", was published in 1980.</p><p><strong>'TRUE PIONEER' </strong></p><p>In 2008, The Times daily included him in a list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers.</p><p>The life-long vegan's first book of poetry for children, "Talking Turkeys", was a surprise best seller in 1994, requiring an urgent reprint after just six weeks.</p><p>He went on to publish four gritty novels about the lives of teenagers, credited with getting young people into reading by providing material they could relate to.</p><p>Zephaniah's family said he had been a "true pioneer and innovator".</p><p>"He gave the world so much. Through an amazing career including a huge body of poems, literature, music, television, and radio, Benjamin leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy," it said.</p><p>"Thank you for the love you have shown Professor Benjamin Zephaniah," it added.</p><p>The Black Writers' Guild, which Zephaniah helped to establish, paid tribute to "a deeply valued friend and a titan of British literature".</p><p>"Benjamin was a man of integrity and an example of how to live your values," it said in a statement.</p><p>"His life was a testimony to the transformational power of reading and the importance of craft.”</p><p><strong>© Agence France-Presse </strong></p>

<p>"It is with great sadness and regret that we announce the death of our beloved husband, son and brother in the early hours of this morning 7th December 2023," his family said on Instagram, adding that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor eight weeks ago.</p><p>In 2003 he snubbed an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award from Queen Elizabeth for services to literature, which Zephaniah said prime minister Tony Blair had recommended.</p><p>He said the award's name reminded him of his ancestors' "brutal" suffering at the hands of their white masters.</p><p>"I get angry when I hear that word 'empire'; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds (me) of thousands of years of brutality -- it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalized," he said at the time.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/06/19/20/church-and-bank-of-england-apologize-for-slavery-roles'>Church and Bank of England apologize for slavery roles</a></li>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/06/24/19/britains-hsbc-to-help-modern-slaves-rebuild-lives-with-bank-access'>Britain's HSBC to help modern slaves 'rebuild lives' with bank access</a></li>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/06/18/14/domestic-workers-rally-against-modern-slavery-uk'>Domestic workers rally against modern slavery in UK</a></li></ul><p>Born in 1958 in the central English city of Birmingham, where "Peaky Blinders" is set, Zephaniah was the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse.</p><p>He was dyslexic and left school at the age of 13, unable to read or write, and as a young man served a prison sentence for burglary.</p><p>His first writings used dub poetry, a Jamaican style of work, and after moving to London in his twenties he began to establish himself as a poet.</p><p>His first book of poetry, "Pen Rhythm", was published in 1980.</p><p><strong>'TRUE PIONEER' </strong></p><p>In 2008, The Times daily included him in a list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers.</p><p>The life-long vegan's first book of poetry for children, "Talking Turkeys", was a surprise best seller in 1994, requiring an urgent reprint after just six weeks.</p><p>He went on to publish four gritty novels about the lives of teenagers, credited with getting young people into reading by providing material they could relate to.</p><p>Zephaniah's family said he had been a "true pioneer and innovator".</p><p>"He gave the world so much. Through an amazing career including a huge body of poems, literature, music, television, and radio, Benjamin leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy," it said.</p><p>"Thank you for the love you have shown Professor Benjamin Zephaniah," it added.</p><p>The Black Writers' Guild, which Zephaniah helped to establish, paid tribute to "a deeply valued friend and a titan of British literature".</p><p>"Benjamin was a man of integrity and an example of how to live your values," it said in a statement.</p><p>"His life was a testimony to the transformational power of reading and the importance of craft.”</p><p><strong>© Agence France-Presse </strong></p>

<p>LONDON — British poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who famously rejected an honor from Queen Elizabeth II over Britain's empire and links to slavery, died on Thursday at the age of 65, his family said.</p><p>The Rastafarian poet and writer, whose work was greatly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica, also turned his hand to acting when he appeared in series six of the hit show "Peaky Blinders" as the character Jeremiah Jesus.</p>

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border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;'> </div></div><p style=' color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZcwo1Iy_H/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading' style=' color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;' target='_blank'>A post shared by Benjamin Zephaniah (@officialbenjaminzephaniah)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async src='https://www.instagram.com/embed.js' type='text/javascript'></script></p>

Benjamin Zephaniah famously rejected an honor from Queen Elizabeth II over Britain's empire and links to slavery. 

British poet and 'Peaky Blinders' actor Benjamin Zephaniah dies | ABS-CBN News

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British poet and 'Peaky Blinders' actor Benjamin Zephaniah dies

British poet and 'Peaky Blinders' actor Benjamin Zephaniah dies