Benjamin Zephaniah dies aged 65 after brain tumour diagnosis: Poet and Peaky Blinders star passes away after eight-week health battle as family pay tribute to 'true pioneer who gave the world so much'

Benjamin Zephaniah has passed away at the age of 65 weeks after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. 

The dub poet had been diagnosed with a tumour just eight weeks before his death. 

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

Zephaniah became embroiled in the criminal underworld as a youngster, serving time in a Borstal and later in prison. Speaking to the Observer in 2018, he recalled how being in a gang made him feel like Robin Hood 'redistributing wealth', and how they were 'frequently in trouble' with cops.

But he became a household name across four decades of work in the creative industries - achieving 16 doctorates and appearing on hit TV shows like EastEnders The Bill and the BBC gangster epic Peaky Blinders, playing the role of Jeremiah Jesus. 

Paying tribute to his friend, Peaky Blinder's star Cillian Murphy described Zephaniah as a 'beautiful human being'. 

He said: 'Benjamin was a truly gifted and beautiful human being - a generational poet, writer, musician and activist.

'A proud Brummie and a Peaky Blinder. I'm so saddened by this news. RIP.'

Known for his writings on racial injustice and the aftermath of the British Empire, Benjamin was once dubbed Britain's 'people's laureate' and was also hailed Nelson Mandela's favourite poet. 

One of The Times' 50 greatest postwar writers, Zephaniah famously turned down an OBE for his services to literature in 2003 arguing that to accept it would make him a hypocrite as he was 'proudly anti-empire'. 

By the 1990s, the performance poet had made several appearances on UK TV shows including The Bill but his most famous role would come when he was cast in the BBCs Peaky Blinders in 2013. 

Announcing his death, the poet's family paid tribute to 'a true pioneer and innovator, who gave the world so much and leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy'.

They added in a statement: 'It is with great sadness and regret that we announced the death of our beloved husband, son and brother in the early hours of this morning 7th December 2023. 

'Benjamin was diagnosed with a brain tumour eight weeks ago. Benjamin's wife was by his side throughout and was with him when he passed.

'We shared him with the world and we know many will be shocked and saddened by this news.

'Benjamin was a true pioneer and innovator, he gave the world so much. Through an amazing career including a huge body of poems, literature, music, television, and radio, Benjamin leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy. 

'Thank you for the love you have shown Professor Benjamin Zephaniah.'

Benjamin's career began in earnest in his 20s when he travelled to London where his first book Pen Rhythm was thereafter published by Page One Book. 

His first writings used dub poetry, a Jamaica style of work that has evolved into the music genre of the same name, and he would also perform with the group The Benjamin Zephaniah Band. 

Zephaniah used his debut anthology as a springboard in his campaign to resuscitate the reputation of poetry in academia, vowing to 'take [it] everywhere'. 

In his 2001 book Too Black Too Strong, Zephaniah chronicled the struggles of 'Black Britain' with a fierce and passionate eye. 

He followed that up with the release of We Are Britain! in 2002, a collection of poems celebrating the nation's unique cultural diversity.

Commenting on his refusal to be honoured with an OBE at the time, he remarked: 'My obsession is about the future and the political rights of all people. 

'Empire' reminds me of slavery, it reminds of thousands of years of brutality, it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised...

'Benjamin Zephaniah OBE – no way, Mr Blair, no way Mrs Queen. I am profoundly anti-empire.'

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

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

His album Rasta, which featured The Wailers' first recording since the death of Bob Marley as well as a tribute to South African leader Mandela, gained him international prestige and topped the Yugoslavian pop charts. 

As a children's poet, he wrote Talking Turkeys, We Sang Across The Sea: The Empire Windrush And Me and Nature Trail.

Since the news of his death was announced many former friends, colleagues and fans have paid tribute to his memory on social media. 

PEN Pinter Prize winner and children's author Michael Rosen - Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009 - called Zephaniah's death 'tragic terrible news'.

Writing on X, he said: 'I'm devastated. I admired him, respected him, learnt from him, loved him. Love and condolences to the family and to all who loved him too.'

Commenting on Benjamin's death, Labour MP Diane Abbott said: 'So sad to hear about the death of poet Benjamin Zephaniah. A great man and a trailblazer.'

Radio presenter Gemma Cairney shared her condolences, as she wrote: 'What heartbreaking news. Deepest condolences to the family. Benjamin was one of our greatest.' 

Fellow writer Nels Abbey wrote: Our learned and beloved elder, Benjamin Zephaniah is now an ancestor. 

'To call this crushing news is a massive understatement. He was far too young, far too brilliant and still had so much to offer. A loss we'll never recover from.'

A spokesman for the Black British Book Festival, of which Benjamin was closely associated with, said: 'We're deeply saddened by the loss of Benjamin Zephaniah, a pioneering Dub Poet and Author whose energy, vibe, and unapologetic work paved the way for Black British Writers. 

'We're forever grateful for his contributions and commitment. His legacy will live on forever.'

DJ and presenter Trevor Nelson said Benjamin Zephaniah was a 'unique talent' as he paid tribute to the poet and author. 

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, the BBC radio host wrote: 'So sad to hear about the passing of Benjamin Zephaniah. 'Too young, too soon, he had a lot more to give. He was a unique talent R.I.P.' 

'Very sorry to hear this news. Benjamin Zephaniah was our radical poet laureate. Rest in power, my friend', tweeted fellow musician Billy Bragg. 

Benjamin's beloved football team Aston Villa have also paid tribute to his memory, writing:  'Everyone at Aston Villa is deeply saddened by news of the passing of legendary writer and poet, Benjamin Zephaniah. 

'Named as one of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008, Benjamin was a lifelong Aston Villa fan and had served as an ambassador for the Aston Villa Foundation.

'The thoughts and condolences of all at the club are with his family and friends at this time.'

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

By Tom Cotterill 

From a teenager who left school unable to read and write and served time in jail to becoming one of British most celebrated poets of the 21st century - Benjamin Zephaniah's life is a shining example of triumph over adversity. 

The beloved speaker and Peaky Blinders star died in the early hours of the morning, eight weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. He was aged 65. 

During his remarkable career, Zephaniah - the Rastafarian once dubbed Britain's 'people's laureate' - was hailed Nelson Mandela's favourite poet.

His album Rasta, which featured The Wailers' first recording since the death of Bob Marley as well as a tribute to South African leader Mandela, gained him international prestige and topped the Yugoslavian pop charts.  

Born in Birmingham on April 15 1958, Zephaniah was the son of a Barbadian postman and 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 youngster was inspired to become a writer after being given a typewriter as a boy - an item of literary history which is now on display at the Birmingham Museums Trust. 

But his dream was far from an easy task to achieve for Zephaniah, who became embroiled in the criminal underworld as a youngster and facing immense pressure as a gang member to commit crimes - and even take part in an attack on a gay man. 

The poet has made no secret of serving time in a Borstal and later in prison. Speaking to the Observer in 2018, he recalled how being in a gang made him feel like Robin Hood 'redistributing wealth', and how they were 'frequently in trouble' with cops.

He described the peer pressure of commit crimes, from burglary to stealing cars - as well as the time he once beat a man up for being 'queer'. 

'They were all beating him up. I didn't want to … One of the kids looked at me, saying, 'Go on, give him one'.' Zephaniah gave the horrified man what he claimed was 'a little token kick' - enough to satisfy the young thugs he was hanging out with.

Zephaniah later went on to say he became so good at pickpocketing that he saw it as an 'art' in its own right.  

'There's something about going into someone's wallet when they've got it inside their jacket when you bump into them and taking it without them knowing. My trick was to take the wallet, take what I wanted and put it back,' he said.

Beaten regularly by his late father, his mother tried desperately to escape with young Zephaniah, seeking shelter at women's refuges but being turned away: 'They wouldn't help her because she was a coloured lady. They were not used to seeing 'people like you'. So I'm angry at the lack of help that she had.'

During his time in a boy's Borstal he faced a different sort of horror - the hidden threat of sexual abuse. He recalled how one boy in his dormitory was molested every night by a member of staff.

Despite his early life 'going off the rails' Zephaniah said he 'managed to turn it around', learning 'not to steal' and to 'help other people'.

Teaching himself to read, he eventually started to make a name for himself performing poetry with a political edge, before later writing novels and plays. 

His first poetry book Pen Rythms was released in 1980 to critical acclaim, with his influences included the music and poetry of Jamaica as well as what he dubbed 'street politics'.  

Zephaniah used his debut anthology as a springboard in his campaign to resuscitate the reputation of poetry in academia, vowing to 'take [it] everywhere'. 

In his 2001 book Too Black Too Strong, Zephaniah chronicled the struggles of 'Black Britain' with a fierce and passionate eye. 

He followed that up with the release of We Are Britain! in 2002, a collection of poems celebrating the nation's unique cultural diversity.

Zephaniah was also the author of Talking Turkeys, his popular children's poetry book, which was reprinted six weeks after its release in 1994.

One of The Times' 50 greatest postwar writers, Zephaniah famously turned down an OBE for his services to literature in 2003, stating that he was 'proudly anti-empire'.

He documented his life in a raw and unflinching autobiography, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah. He saw his memoire as 'a social history of Britain' that also charted the struggle for racial equality.

In 2018, while promoting the book, the poet revealed he hit one of his ex-girlfriends, admitting in a candid radio interview that they way he treated some of his former partners was 'terrible'.

He said that as he had got older he had 'really regretted' his actions and had apologised to the ex-girlfriend.

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

'I could lose my temper sometimes. There was one girlfriend I had and I actually hit her a couple of times. 

'As I got older I really regretted it and it burned my conscience so badly, it really ate at me. 

Mr Zephaniah said that his increasing involvement in politics, especially race and gender issues in the UK and South Africa, gave him a different view of women.

He said: 'I remember I was on a march and I was saying Freedom! International Freedom!, and I thought, I just left my girlfriend at home and told her not to leave the house. 

'I was being an oppressor and a hypocrite, and at that moment I just stopped and said, I'm going to think for myself. 

He said the experience had inspired a poem in which he wrote about 'struggling together now' and includes the line: 'How you talk about life and justice when you can't handle domestic crisis?'

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

Branching out from poetry and writing, Zephaniah also showed his talents on the small screen as an actor. 

Credited with minor appearances in several TV programmes in the 1980s and 1990s, which included the The Bill, he would go on to appear in the 1990 film Farendj, directed by Sabine Prenczina and starring Tim Roth.

But it was in 2013 that he made is big break, staring in the hit period crime drama Peaky Blinders.

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

During his music career, Zephaniah worked with Irish singer Sinead O'Connor on Empire and 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 Empire Windrush And Me and Nature Trail.

News of his death rocked the literary world. In a statement shared on social media, his family described the poet as '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 in the early hours of this morning.

'Benjamin's wife was by his side throughout and was with him when he passed. We shared with him the world and we know many will be shocked and saddened by this news.

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

'Through an amazing career including a huge body of poems, literature, music television and radio, Benjamin leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy.'

Many former friends, colleagues and fans have also paid tribute to his memory on social media.

PEN Pinter Prize winner and children's author Michael Rosen - Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009 - called Zephaniah's death 'tragic terrible news'.

Writing on X, he said: 'I'm devastated. I admired him, respected him, learnt from him, loved him. Love and condolences to the family and to all who loved him too.'

Commenting on Benjamin's death, Labour MP Diane Abbott said: 'So sad to hear about the death of poet Benjamin Zephaniah. A great man and a trailblazer.'

Radio presenter Gemma Cairney shared her condolences, as she wrote: 'What heartbreaking news. Deepest condolences to the family. Benjamin was one of our greatest.'