Benjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin Zephaniah is a pioneer of the performance poetry scene. He has recorded albums, written plays for stage, radio and television, and he writes poetry for children, adults, and novels for teenagers. He is also an actor and television presenter. His message is one of unity, peace and expression through creativity. He holds 16 honorary doctorates and is visiting professor at De Montfort University and Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing at Brunel University.
His autobiography, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, was nominated for two major awards and he is constantly touring with his band. Benjamin lives in Lincolnshire
Books
Benjamin Zephaniah’s Nature Trail
Author: Benjamin Zephaniah Illustrator: Nila Aye
Publisher: Orchard Books
Interest age: 2-5
This joyful poem within a picture book pays tribute to all the treats that nature has to offer. Packed with animals and minibeasts galore, this fun, imaginative book is perfect for reading aloud.
Funky Chickens
Author: Benjamin Zephaniah
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
A funny, thought-provoking collection of poems for older children from Britain’s best-loved rap poet, Benjamin Zephaniah, which cover a diverse and sometimes difficult range of topics but are full of fun and imagination.
J is for Jamaica
Author: Benjamin Zephaniah & Prodeepta Das
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Interest age: 3+
Reading age: 5+
Welcome to this whistle-stop tour of Jamaica - from A for Ackee to Z for Zinc.
Liam
Author: Benjamin Zephaniah Illustrator: Dan Taylor
Publisher: Collins Education
Interest age: 10-12
Reading age: 7-9
Teenager Liam plans to track down his birth parents, but there are secrets and surprises in store along the way in this short illustrated novel.
Refugee Boy
Author: Benjamin Zephaniah
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Interest age: 10-14
Reading age: 10+
Alem's father is Ethiopian and his mother is Eritrean, and there is a dangerous conflict raging between the two countries.
For his own safety, Alem's father brings him to England to escape the dangers at home. At first, Alem is delighted to be having a holiday with his dad, until he wakes up one morning to find his father has left him in England alone.
Altho…
Terror Kid
Author: Benjamin Zephaniah
Publisher: Hot Key
Interest age: 13-14
Reading age: 13+
A powerful, accessible and revelatory novel with its finger firmly on the pulse of contemporary social and political issues.
We Sang Across the Sea The Empire Windrush and Me
Author: Benjamin Zephaniah Illustrator: Onyinye Iwu
Publisher: Scholastic
Interest age: 5-6
Reading age: 5+
Written by multi award-winning poet Benjamin Zephaniah, this lyrical rhyming poem is told through the real-life experiences of the Trinidadian musician, Mona Baptiste, who boarded The Empire Windrush in the hopes of becoming a singer and making a better life for herself.
Windrush Child
Author: Benjamin Zephaniah
Publisher: Scholastic
Interest age: 9-12
Reading age: 9+
This is the story of Leonard, who travels with his mother from Jamaica to England after the Second World War. Benjamin Zephaniah shares his story right up to 2018 and the Windrush scandal - when Leonard, as an old man, is denied citizenship in the country he has lived in his entire life.