Zephaniah, Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal (1958- )

English poet, novelist, performer, and cultural commentator. In 1983 he released his first poetry album, RASTA. Other albums include Free South Africa (1986), Back to Roots (1995), and Belly of De Beast (1996). His novels include Face (1999) and Refugee Boy (2001), both written for young adults.

He self-published his first pamphlet of poetry, Pen Rhythm, in 1980. He then became involved with performance poetry, touring extensively in the UK. His subsequent collections of poetry include The Dread Affair: Collected Poems (1985), which contained a number of poems attacking the UK legal system; Too Black; Too Strong (2001); and We Are Britain! (2002). In 2003, Zephaniah turned down the offer of an OBE from the Queen, saying that it reminded him of thousands of years of oppression and brutality.

Zephaniah was born in Black River, Jamaica. He moved to England when he was two and grew up in the Handsworth district of Birmingham. In 1979 he moved to London where he set up a housing cooperative and a bookshop.

His television appearances include Dread Poets Society (1991) and Crossing the Tracks (1993); radio shows include A Night with Benjamin Zephaniah (1996).