Poet, actor and activist Benjamin Zephaniah has died, aged 65
nme.comA post shared by Benjamin Zephaniah (@officialbenjaminzephaniah)Zephaniah rose to fame throughout the ‘80s – most famous for his poetry works which often touched upon topics such as race and the British legal system.
By the ‘90s, he was considered one of the most influential voices in the UK.Famously, he turned down an OBE in 2003, writing: “Benjamin Zephaniah OBE – no way Mr Blair, no way Mrs Queen.
I am profoundly anti-empire.” He also said he had begged Tony Blair to meet him to discuss crime in Britain and told the Queen to stop “going on about the empire”.Born and raised in Birmingham which he often referred to as the “Jamaican capital of Europe”, the poet also went on to take on numerous acting roles.
These included appearances on UK television shows including The Bill.His most famous role, however, took place 10 years ago, when he took on the role of Jeremiah in the hit BBC drama Peaky Blinders back in 2013.This is a breaking news story, check back for more information..
Read more on nme.com
