EVENT: Benjamin Zephaniah Book Tour

Saturday 9 March 2019
18:00 - 21:00
Tickets: £8 for standard tickets, £28 for tickets with a copy of the book
Book your tickets on Eventbrite

We are proud to welcome the uncomparable Benjamin Zephaniah to Black Cultural Archives as he launches his new book, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah. The event will feature a Q&A session led by Black Cultural Archives' new Managing Director, Arike Oke.

Benjamin Zephaniah is a pioneer of performance poetry. His talent as a lyricist and storyteller emerged at a young age, helping him to survive the racism he faced growing up in 1960s Birmingham. A vibrant music scene in the form of roots reggae and the sound system culture of the 1970s provided the backdrop to a teenage life that was, at every turn, encountering institutional racism.

Benjamin speaks candidly of his time living outside the law, and how he broke away from the path his schoolteachers told him was inevitable. His mission was to take poetry everywhere. With the flame of creativity burning inside him, he came to London and emerged as a uniquely dynamic performer, when punks and rastas were fighting Thatcherism and the National Front in the 1980s. Nelson Mandela formed a close friendship with Benjamin after hearing his musical tribute to him recorded with The Wailers – the first artist to do so after the death of Bob Marley.

This award-winning playwright, lyricist and much-loved poet has been a voice of reason and resistance for almost four decades. His memoirs provide a vivid portrait of an extraordinary life that celebrates the power of poetry and the importance of pushing boundaries. 

Guests can join us from 18:00 with the event starting at 18:30. There will be books available for purchase on the day. You can book your tickets via our Eventbrite page.