BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH

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BIOGRAPHY

• His full name is Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah.

• He was born in 1958, in Birmingham, England, but he spent part of his childhood in Jamaica, his parents’ homeland.

• His father is a postman and his mother is a nurse. His father was born in Barbados and his mother in Jamaica.

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BIOGRAPHY

• He had a difficult childhood: he was expelled from school many times.

• He was in prison for burglary when he was a teenager. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512yQzA6TgL._AA160_.jpg

BIOGRAPHY

• When he left prison, he enrolled at a school for adults and decided to change his life.

• He published his first book of poetry in 1980. It is called Pen Rhythm.

• Now, he works as a writer and he is an honorary doctor in many universities in England. He is also o novelist, a musician, a TV presenter and an activist.

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HOBBIES

• Benjamin likes:• Jogging• Kung Fu• Football• Collecting old bank notes• Exploring woods and forestshttp://benjaminzephaniah.com/wp-content/

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INTERESTING FACTS

• Nelson Mandela was one of Zephaniah’s admirers..

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INTERESTING FACTS• He hates animal cruelty, blood sports & violence.

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INTERESTING FACTS

•He is a Rastafarian.•Benjamin is a dub poet (he performs his poems with reggae rhythms).

ZEPHANIAH’S PHRASES

• “I started writing poetry because I didn’t like poetry.”

• “This planet is for everyone, borders are for no one. It's all about freedom.”

• “I think poetry should be alive. You should be able to dance it”.

• “The way animals are carted around reminds me of the slavery of my people... The slavery of animals has to be ended too.”