Inside the remarkable life of Benjamin Zephaniah from Peaky Blinders role to topping the Yugoslavian pop chart as world renowned poet dies aged 65

From leaving school unable to read or write and serving time in prison to becoming one of the most celebrated British poets of the 21st century, Benjamin Zephaniah’s life is a shining example of triumph over adversity.

The beloved public speaker and Peaky Blinders star died early this morning, eight weeks after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He was 65 years old.

During his remarkable career, Zephaniah – a Rastafarian who was once called “Britain’s People’s Laureate” – was hailed as Nelson Mandela’s favorite poet.

His album Rasta, which featured The Wailers’ first recording after Bob Marley’s death as well as a tribute to South African leader Mandela, brought him international prestige and topped the Yugoslav pop charts.

Zephaniah was born in Birmingham on April 15, 1958, the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse. After being diagnosed with dyslexia at an early age, Zephaniah left school unable to read or write at the age of 13.

Despite this, the young man was inspired to become a writer after being given a typewriter as a child – a piece of literary history now on display at Birmingham Museums Trust.

But his dream was far from easy for Zephaniah, who found himself drawn into the criminal world at a young age and faced enormous pressure as a gang member, forcing him to commit crimes – and even take part in an attack on a gay man.

The poet did not hide the fact that he was serving his sentence in borstal and then in prison. Speaking to observer in 2018, he recalled how gang membership made him feel like Robin Hood “redistributing wealth” and how they “often got into trouble” with police officers.

He described peer pressure to commit crimes ranging from burglary to car theft, and the time he once beat up a man for being a “homosexual.”

“They all beat him up. I didn’t want to… One of the kids looked at me and said, “Go ahead, give him one.” Zephaniah gave the frightened man what he said was a “little symbolic kick” – enough to satisfy the young thugs he was hanging out with.

Zephaniah later said that he was so good at pickpocketing that he considered it an “art” of its own.

“There’s something about going into someone’s wallet when it’s in their jacket, when you bump into them, and taking it without them knowing. My trick was to take my wallet, take what I wanted and put it back,” he said.

His mother, regularly beaten by her late father, desperately tried to escape with young Zephaniah, seeking refuge in women’s shelters, but she was turned away: “They wouldn’t help her because she was a colored woman. They are not used to seeing “people like you.” So I’m angry about the lack of help she received.”

During his stay at a boys’ boarding school, he encountered a different kind of horror – the hidden threat of sexual violence. He recalled how one boy in his dorm was harassed every night by a staff member.

Even though his youth was “off the rails,” Zephaniah said he “managed to turn things around” by learning to “not steal” and “help other people.”

After learning to read, he eventually began to make a name for himself by performing politically charged poetry and later wrote novels and plays.

His first collection of poetry, Pen Rythms, was released in 1980 to critical acclaim and was influenced by Jamaican music and poetry, as well as what he called “street politics”.

Zephaniah used his debut anthology as a springboard in his campaign to revive poetry’s reputation in academia, vowing to “bring it everywhere.”

In his 2001 book Too Black, Too Strong, Zephaniah described the struggles of Black Britain with fierce and passionate vision.

He followed this up with the release of We Are Britain! in 2002, a collection of poems was published celebrating the country’s unique cultural diversity.

Zephaniah was also the author of his popular children’s poetry collection, Talking Turkeys, which was reissued six weeks after its release in 1994.

One of The Times’ 50 greatest post-war writers, Zephaniah famously refused an OBE for services to literature in 2003, saying he was “proudly anti-imperial”.

He documented his life in a raw and unflinching autobiography, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah. He saw his memoirs as a “social history of Britain”, which also reflected the struggle for racial equality.

In 2018, while promoting the book, the poet revealed that he had hit one of his ex-girlfriends, admitting in a candid radio interview that his treatment of some of his former partners had been “horrible”.

He said that as he got older, he “really regretted” his actions and apologized to his ex-girlfriend.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “The way I treated some of my girlfriends was terrible. At one point I was cruel.

“Sometimes I could lose my temper. I had one girl and I even hit her a couple of times.

“As I got older, I really regretted it and it seared my conscience so much that it really ate away at me.

Mr Zephaniah said his growing involvement in politics, particularly race and gender issues in Britain and South Africa, had given him a different perspective on women.

He said: “I remember being on the march and saying ‘Freedom!’ International Freedom!, and I thought: I just left the girl at home and told her not to leave the house.

“I was an oppressor and a hypocrite, and at that moment I just stopped and said: I will think for myself.

He said the experience inspired him to write a poem in which he wrote about how “now we fight together” and included the line: “How do you talk about life and justice when you can’t deal with an internal crisis? »

Zephaniah broke into the literary world performing dub poetry with stand-up comedians and punk bands in 1980s London.

While pursuing poetry and writing, Zephaniah also showcased his acting talents on the small screen.

He was credited with minor appearances in several television programs in the 1980s and 1990s, including The Bill, and then appeared in the 1990 film Farenge, directed by Sabine Prencina and starring Tim Roth.

But his big break came in 2013, starring in the popular crime drama Peaky Blinders.

Playing the role of Jeremiah in Cillian Murphy’s epic street gang drama, Benjamin’s character often served as the moral heart of the lawless group and earned him critical acclaim.

During his music career, Zephaniah worked with Irish singer Sinead O’Connor on the album Empire, and with British musician Howard Jones and drummer Trevor Morais on his album Naked.

As a children’s poet, he wrote Talking Turkeys, We Sang Across the Sea: The Windrush Empire and I and The Nature Trail.

The news of his death shocked the literary world. In a statement posted on social media, his family called the poet “a true pioneer and innovator.”

They said: “It is with great sadness and regret that we announce the death of our beloved husband, son and brother early this morning.

“Benjamin’s wife was by his side all the time and was with him when he left. We have shared it with the world and know many will be shocked and saddened by this news.

“Benjamin was a true pioneer and innovator. He gave so much to the world.

“With a prodigious career spanning a wealth of poetry, literature, music television and radio, Benjamin leaves us a joyful and fantastic legacy.”

Many former friends, colleagues and fans also paid tribute to him on social media.

PEN-Pinter Prize winner and children’s author Michael Rosen – children’s laureate from 2007 to 2009 – called Zephaniah’s death “tragically terrible news”.

Writing to X, he said: “I’m devastated. I admired him, respected him, learned from him, loved him. Love and condolences to the family and everyone who loved him.”

Commenting on Benjamin’s death, Labor MP Diane Abbott said: “So sad to hear of the death of poet Benjamin Zephaniah. A great man and a pioneer.”

Radio presenter Gemma Cairney shared her condolences, writing: “What heartbreaking news. Deepest condolences to the family. Benjamin was one of our greatest.”