#benjamin zephaniah

[robotpussy]

RIP Benjamin Zephaniah (15th April 1958 – 7th December 2023)

Dub poet, novelist, lyricist and playwright, Dr. Benjamin Zephaniah paved the way for so many black british writers with his pen. His work focussed on racism within the UK and colonialism.

It is so cliche to start talking about somebody's work once they pass away but I would like to do so anyway:

"Too Black Too Strong" (2001) - Poems that address the struggles of black Britain that, compared to his works before, are much more forceful. Some of the poems featured in this were written when he was working with Michael Mansfield QC and other Tooks barristers on the Stephen Lawrence case. (Available on The Anarchist Library)

"Propa Propaganda" (1996) - His second collection of poetry that continues to surround around the themes of anti-colonialism, racism and anti-establishment features some of his most famous works such as "I Have a Scheme", "The Angry Black Poet" and "White Comedy"

"Rasta Time in Palestine" (1990) - a travelogue and a collection of poetry he wrote while visiting occupied Palestinian territories. (Available on Internet Archive). Zephaniah was an avid supporter of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and attended demonstrations calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. The photo above is of Zephaniah at a London Protest in 2010.

[page-28]

Rest in love

[useless-englandfacts]

Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (15 April 1958 – 6 December 2023)

[sparksetfire]

Some quotes from the incredible Benjamin Zephaniah about Peaky that I've always loved:

"I really liked the character when I read the script. My father was a preacher, so there's a part of me that connected; the preacher bit came naturally to me. When I have to give sermons in the show I can go off script easily. There was one scene that didn't make the cut, where I'm preaching in the bar. You see a little bit of it, but most of it was edited out. I had to do some real hellfire preaching. I remember running through it and Cillian turned to me and said "Shit, I believe you, father.""

"I love playing him. Something strange happens every time I go on set. When I put the clothes on, I slightly push my stomach out, to give me a bit more of a pot belly. I'm pretty flat-stomached, but I like to just push it out a bit; I stand in a slightly different way. We all do that: I watch Cillian when he dresses. As soon as he's got his gear on, he walks with his hands slightly out by his sides. And then Paul puts on a really growling Arthur voice: 'You going for dinner, Benjamin?' And he just goes into character straight away. I remember when I was first doing it, I read the first words I had to speak, and I said, 'How do you want me to do this, Brummie or Caribbean, or what?' The director said, 'However you want to do it; don't come too heavy on the Caribbean, but don't overdo the Birmingham.' So the voice, especially when l'm preaching, is the same voice I use when I'm reading poetry live. It's a bit more Jamaican than my speaking voice. My speaking voice has become more English over the years. So, with the clothes on, my belly out, look in the mirror and l know its happened. It's usually when I put the hat on and the cross around my neck. That's it: I'm Jeremiah Jesus."

[tommy-shelby-ltd]

Benjamin Zephaniah

15th April 1958 - 7th December 2023

[modmad]

so so sad to hear of the death of Benjamin Zephaniah, I suspect a lot of you may never have heard of him but he was a super great guy and a master of linguistics who I can accurately credit for being The Man who Got Me Into Poetry when I was lucky enough to see him perform live when I was age 12. There was Before Benjamin, and there was After.

I cannot understate how much of a cultural icon he was, and will remain. If you have the time please, look into his works and his tireless efforts in activism, he will be so badly missed.

[garadinervi]

Benjamin Zephaniah, Rasta Time in Palestine, Photographs by Jez Coulson, Shakti, Liverpool, 1990, pp. 23-24

[musickickztoo]

Just some of the many musicians we lost in 2023

[liberalsarecool]

Rest in power, Benjamin.

"That’s what Benjamin did over and over again, nudge people into seeing the world through the eyes of the oppressed."

[jacobwren]

Benjamin Zephaniah

[robotpussy]

"When I was young, there were two things that I really wanted to see; a free South Africa, and a free Palestine." The poet in Gaza, Occupied Palestine.

Benjamin Zephaniah in Palestine via his website

Photo 1: "A Palestinian scrapbook - 'Why would a group of Palestinian women have a scrapbook on me?'"

Photo 2: "With Friends in Gaza, Palestine"

[achurni]

Rest in paradise, Jeremiah 🕊️

[neitherabaron]

So sad to hear about Benjamin Zephaniah’s passing.

Do yourselves a favour - look up a song called Tam Lin Retold, by The Imagined Village ft Benjamin Zephaniah.

It’s Tam Lin in a nightclub, about the African diaspora in the UK. It’s life-affirming. It’s beautiful.

[beardedmrbean]

F

[therewasabrowncrow]

The British Poem

Take some Picts, Celts and Silures And let them settle, Then overrun them with Roman conquerors. Remove the Romans after approximately 400 years Add lots of Norman French to some Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, then stir vigorously. Mix some hot Chileans, cool Jamaicans, Dominicans, Trinidadians and Bajans with some Ethiopians, Chinese, Vietnamese and Sudanese. Then take a blend of Somalians, Sri Lankans, Nigerians And Pakistanis, Combine with some Guyanese And turn up the heat. Sprinkle some fresh Indians, Malaysians, Bosnians, Iraqis and Bangladeshis together with some Afghans, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese And Palestinians Then add to the melting pot. Leave the ingredients to simmer. As they mix and blend allow their languages to flourish Binding them together with English. Allow time to be cool. Add some unity, understanding, and respect for the future, Serve with justice And enjoy. Note: All the ingredients are equally important. Treating one ingredient better than another will leave a bitter unpleasant taste. Warning: An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain. Give justice and equality to all.

Benjamin Zephaniah

RIP 🕊️

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

so benjamin zephhaniah passed away yesterday.

though id reckon more people might recognise him as jeremiah jesus in peaky blinders, he was also a writer and a dub poet, and he was unquestionably one of the best british poets ever.

i dont want to write like a whole biography for him in this post because other people have done that much better than i can, but instead i just want to recommend his work. he has countless books, plays, poetry collections, albums, etc.

one of my favourite things about his poetry is how accessible it is and how he writes poems the way he speaks them, and in regard to that, i just want to share one of my favourite poems of his, Dis Poetry:

Dis poetry is like a riddim dat drops De tongue fires a riddim dat shoots like shots Dis poetry is designed fe rantin Dance hall style, big mouth chanting, Dis poetry nar put yu to sleep Preaching follow me Like yu is blind sheep, Dis poetry is not Party Political Not designed fe dose who are critical. Dis poetry is wid me when I gu to me bed It gets into me dreadlocks It lingers around me head Dis poetry goes wid me as I pedal me bike I've tried Shakespeare, respect due dere But did is de stuff I like. Dis poetry is not afraid of going ina book Still dis poetry need ears fe hear an eyes fe hav a look Dis poetry is Verbal Riddim, no big words involved An if I hav a problem de riddim gets it solved, I've tried to be more romantic, it does nu good for me So I tek a Reggae Riddim an build me poetry, I could try be more personal But you've heard it all before, Pages of written words not needed Brain has many words in store, Yu could call dis poetry Dub Ranting De tongue plays a beat De body starts skanking, Dis poetry is quick an childish Dis poetry is fe de wise an foolish, Anybody can do it fe free, Dis poetry is fe yu an me, Don't stretch yu imagination Dis poetry is fe de good of de Nation, Chant, In de morning I chant In de night I chant In de darkness An under de spotlight, I pass thru University I pass thru Sociology An den I got a dread degree In Dreadfull Ghettology. Dis poetry stays wid me when I run or walk An when I am talking to meself in poetry I talk, Dis poetry is wid me, Below me an above, Dis poetry's from inside me It goes to yu WID LUV.