Benjamin Zephaniah
Year conferred: 2002
Benjamin Zephaniah is first and foremost an oral poet, most at home performing in the areas of the world where the oral tradition remains strongest, but he is also a widely published poet and writer, and a musician who has been touring and recording for nearly twenty years.
In the Handsworth area of Birmingham, where he grew up, Benjamin gained an early following amongst the Afro-Caribbean and Asian Community but it wasn't until he moved to London, in 1980, that he began to attract the wider audience he was seeking. His first book of poetry, Pen Rhythm, was published the same year, but it was through his performance as a dub poet at scenes of protest that Benjamin made his greatest impact. Since then he has performed to audiences throughout the world, particularly the developing world, and worked extensively with both human and animal rights groups.
His publications vary in audience and medium and include Too Black Too Strong, a volume of poems written for an adult audience, the novel Refugee Boy, which is written for a teenage audience, and music, such as the latest album Naked.
