Benjamin Zephaniah, the people’s poet, Peaky Blinders star and Brunel University of London professor, will be remembered and celebrated on Saturday 12 April, as Brunel and Qian Zephaniah, Benjamin’s wife, host the first Benjamin Zephaniah Day on his birthday weekend. The free, family-friendly event will have a festival feel on campus with food, live music, spoken word and poetry from talented artists, including the dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and children’s author and poet Michael Rosen.
As a special Benjamin Zephaniah Day treat, the poet’s upcoming selection of poems and lyrics, Dis Poetry, will be available to purchase ahead of its publication date on 15 April, Benjamin’s birthday. Not to forget the kids, Benjamin’s new picture poem book, Leave the Trees, Please, will also be available following its release on 10 April.
Born on 15 April 1958, this year would have been Benjamin’s 67th birthday, and the upcoming day of fun and creativity will pay tribute to the much-loved poet, musician, writer, activist, actor, TV presenter and peace lover.
Qian Zephaniah will officially open the day in Brunel’s newly named Benjamin Zephaniah Square at 11am, and she warmly invites everyone to attend the inaugural celebratory event.
Qian Zephaniah and Prof Andrew Jones, Brunel's Vice-Chancellor and President, unveiling a plaque in
Benjamin's honour at the campus' newly named Benjamin Zephaniah Square (pictured in September 2024).
"When Benjamin was asked what he wanted his legacy to be, he simply said, 'love’, and Benjamin Zephaniah Day is one of the ways we honour that legacy,” said Qian. “It will be a day that shows what was close to Benjamin's heart, and people who loved him will be there to show that, too.
“It will be an annual event dedicated to continuing the celebration of Benjamin and the legacy of his work and love, and we invite everyone who, like Benjamin, believes that love is one of the greatest gifts we can offer one another.”
Prof Benjamin Zephaniah, Professor of Creative Writing, pictured at Brunel
From 11am to 6:30pm, Brunel will be brimming with fun-filled, family-friendly creative activities that reflect Benjamin’s diverse legacy. Visitors can enjoy poetry workshops and creative writing master classes led by leading poets, translators and emerging artists, as well as community-focused sessions funded by Arts Council England. Like Brunel, the government-funded agency is committed to sustaining Benjamin’s legacy, and Benjamin Zephaniah Day marks the start of their upcoming programme of workshops with local community groups and libraries to help disenfranchised communities discover the power of creativity.
Alongside the workshops, guests will be kept entertained by music, vegan street food, outdoor games and performances. Speakers’ Corner will give emerging voices a platform to share their talents, and there will be stage takeovers from members of the Black Writers' Guild and Writers Mosaic, as well as spoken word and performance poetry from Apples and Snakes - England’s leading spoken word organisation.
Benjamin Zephaniah is at the heart of this joyous day, and his talent and impact will be celebrated at Brunel, where he will always be remembered as a much-loved professor, friend, colleague and member of the community.
"Benjamin Zephaniah enriched the lives of our staff and students, and his impact on Brunel, the wider community and humanity is immeasurable," said Prof Andrew Jones, Brunel’s Vice-Chancellor and President.
“Last September, it was a privilege to have Qian Zephaniah on campus to open the newly named Benjamin Zephaniah Square in her husband’s honour, and I am thrilled to welcome her back to Brunel for the inaugural Benjamin Zephaniah Day. The special day will celebrate Benjamin’s extraordinary contributions, not only to literature and education but also to the causes he championed throughout his life. We hope that all will attend this celebratory day in the spirit of Professor Benjamin Zephaniah.”
For further details about the day, please visit brunel.ac.uk/Zephaniah.
Reported by:
Nadine Palmer,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 266867
press-office@brunel.ac.uk