Overview

Praised byJoan Armatrading for 'his charm, his poetry, his revolutionary ways, his caring for people, his inclusiveness',Benjamin Zephaniah (1958-2023) was a poet who wouldn't stay silent, who didn't pull any punches, who wrote out of a sense of urgency and a commitment to social justice. Benjaminwas a writer and performer of extraordinary range: an oral poet, novelist, playwright, children's writer, reggae artist, actor, television personality and political activist. Born and raised in Birmingham, England, he was sent to an approved school for being uncontrollable, rebellious and 'a born failure', ending up in jail for burglary and affray. After prison he turned from crime to music and poetry. He was later nominated for Oxford Professor of Poetry, and voted Britain's third favourite poet of all time (after T.S. Eliot and John Donne) in a BBC poll. Known for his performance poetry with a political edge for adults as well as his poetry with attitude for children, he had his own rap/reggae band. He was the first person to record with the Wailers after the death of Bob Marley, in a musical tribute to Nelson Mandela, which Mandela heard while in prison on Robben Island. Dis Poetry brings together all the poems from Benjamin's three Bloodaxe collections, City Psalms (1992), Propa Propaganda (1996) and Too Black, Too Strong (2001), as well as some from The Dread Affair (1985), along with previously unpublished work and lyrics from various recordings. The book includes a QR code giving access to Pamela Robertson-Pearce's feature film To Do Wid Me originally released as a DVD-book in 2015 enabling you to see and hear Benjamin performing in full over 20 of the poems in Dis Poetry on your phone while reading the book.

Full Product Details

Author:   Benjamin Zephaniah
Publisher:   Bloodaxe Books Ltd
Imprint:   Bloodaxe Books Ltd
Edition:   Paperback original
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.10cm , Length: 23.40cm
ISBN:  

9781780377414

ISBN 10:   178037741
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   15 April 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

from THE DREAD AFFAIR (1985) 13 Dedication 14 Dem people stone poets 15 Nature’s politics 15 Fight dem 17 Nice one Handsworth 18 Anti-society 19 Ess double you nine (Brixton) 19 Can’t keep good dread down 20 The boat is sinking 22 Freedom side 23 Who killed Colin Roach 24 Ganja rock 25 The day dat I met Lady Di 26 Pen rhythm 27 Dreadie high-rise farm 29 Dis policeman keeps on kicking me to death 31 South Afrika CITY PSALMS (1992) 35 Man to Man 36 Dis Poetry 38 A Bomb 39 A bomb pusher writes 40 Overstanding 41 Speak 42 A writer rants 42 Money (rant) 46 No rights red an half dead 47 According to my mood 47 The Cold War 49 As a African 50 My God! You God! 50 A Picture of a Sign 52 Yo Bowy 53 Tiananmen Square 54 Royals do it too 56 Black Whole 57 Rapid Rapping (rant) 60 Call it what yu like 63 Us & Dem 65 Cut de crap 66 Me green poem 70 Comrades an Frens 71 A modern slave song 72 U-Turn 73 How’s dat 74 She’s crying for many 76 Question 77 The sun 78 Ringside 80 Black Politics of Today 82 The Old Truth PROPA PROPAGANDA (1996) 84 I Have a Scheme 86 The Death of Joy Gardner 88 Terrible World 89 White Comedy 90 Belly of de Beast 92 De Rong Song 93 Save Our Sons (SOS) 94 Reggae Head 96 Dry 97 Meditate and Communicate 98 More Animal Writes 100 Who Dun It? 102 The Angry Black Poet 104 Poor Millionaires 105 Silence in Our Screams 107 Back to What 108 To Be Seen, To Be Done 109 One Day in Babylon 110 City Lights 111 No Problem 112 Dancing the Tradition 114 Neighbours 115 Another World 116 Family Values 117 The War Process 118 Want To Be a Soldier 120 Sit Con 121 City River Blues 122 Tricky 122 Altered Ego 123 Homeward Bound 125 Parents Today 126 The Curse of Count Empire 128 Art 128 Words 128 Hope 129 Mad Human Disease 130 Master, Master 131 Cybersex 133 Ageism 134 Acts of Parliament: motion 1 135 Acts of Parliament: motion 2 136 Acts of Parliament: motion 3 137 The President Is Dead Again 141 Independence 142 De Queen an I 144 Walking Black Home 145 Self Defence 146 Tax Relief 147 Heckling Miss Lou 148 Childless TOO BLACK, TOO STRONG (2001) 151 What Am I Going On About? 156 Bought And Sold 157 What If 158 Breakfast in East Timor 160 What Stephen Lawrence Has Taught Us 162 To Ricky Reel 164 To Michael Menson 165 Having a Word 166 Reminders 167 Appeal Dismissed 168 Chant of a Homesick Nigga 170 This Be The Worst 170 Time 171 The Woman Has to Die 172 Kill Them Before Ramadan 175 The Empire Comes Back 177 The Men From Jamaica Are Settling Down 181 I Neva Shot De Sheriff 185 Carnival Days 187 Naked 191 Adultery 192 Going Cheap 193 Christmas Has Been Shot 195 Two Dozen Babylon 196 Three Black Males 197 We People Too 200 Anti-Slavery Movements 201 Knowing Me 203 The Race Industry 204 Biko the Greatness 205 Derry Sunday 206 The One Minutes of Silence 209 The Drunk on Green Street 210 The Ride 211 To Do Wid Me 215 Nu Blue Suede Shoes 217 The Approved School of Reggae 219 Do Something Illegal 220 Translate 221 The London Breed 222 Heroes 222 The Big Bang from NAKED (2004) 226 Uptown Downtown 227 Superstar 228 Our Fathers 229 Slow Motion 230 Things We Say from TO DO WID ME (2015) 233 Wake Up 236 Nu Run Away 238 Rong Radio 241 Touch 243 Responsible 245 Genetics from REVOLUTIONARY MINDS (2017) 249 Earth Liberation Sound 250 Revolutionary Minds 253 President 254 Cool Down 255 Hot Like Jamaica 256 In This World 259 I Am a Revolutionary 260 Uprising Downtown 262 You Dream UNCOLLECTED POEMS & LYRICS 264 The Traveller 265 The Spirit Level 267 Tam Lyn (retold) 273 Difference 274 Happy Everyday 274 Strange Truth 275 Magic 276 Evolution NOTES 278 Editorial note 279 Acknowledgements & notes on poems 283 Glossary of names

Reviews

He’ll be remembered as a poet of justice, of peace, of people power – as someone who was profoundly principled and lovable and full of soulful integrity. For me, Benjamin has been a sounding board, a model, a shrine, a cultural touchpoint throughout my entire life. If I had a poetry father, it really was him. -- Raymond Antrobus * The Observer * He's left us with his charm, his poetry, his revolutionary ways, his caring for people, his inclusiveness. -- Joan Armatrading * BBC Two’s Newsnight * The man was a force, an energy, a blast… Benjamin took everything life threw at him and turned it into poetry… His poems encourage us to never give up, to keep the flame of hope burning. -- Jackie Kay * i *

Author Information

Benjamin Zephaniah (1958-2023) was a writer and performer of extraordinary range: an oral poet, novelist, playwright, children's writer, reggae artist, actor, television personality and political activist. Born in Birmingham, England, he grew up in Handsworth, where he was sent to an approved school for being uncontrollable, rebellious and 'a born failure', ending up in jail for burglary and affray.After prison he turned from crime to music and poetry. In 1989 he was nominated for Oxford Professor of Poetry, and received honorary doctorates from several English universities, but famously refused to accept a nomination for an OBE in 2003. He appeared in a number of television programmes, including the hit seriesPeaky Blinders. He was voted Britain's third favourite poet of all time (after T.S. Eliot and John Donne) in a BBC poll in 2009.

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