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

From leaving school unable to read and write and serving a prison sentence, to becoming one of the most celebrated British poets of the 21st century, Benjamin Zephaniah's life is a shining example of triumph over adversity.

The much-loved speaker and Peaky Blinders star died in the early hours of the morning, eight weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was 65 years old.

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

His album Rasta, featuring the Wailers' first recording since Bob Marley's death and a tribute to South African leader Mandela, earned him international prestige and topped the Yugoslav charts.

Born on April 15, 1958 in Birmingham, Zephaniah was the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse. After being diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, Zephaniah left school at the age of 13 and could no longer read or write.

Despite this, the youngster was inspired to become a writer after being given a typewriter as a boy – an item of literary history now on display at the Birmingham Museums Trust.

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

The poet has made no secret of the fact that he was in a bordal and later in prison. Speaking with the Observer in 2018, he recalled how joining a gang made him feel like Robin Hood “redistributing wealth,” and how they “often got into trouble” with the police.

He described the peer pressure that comes with committing crimes, from burglary to stealing cars — and the time he once beat up a man for being “queer.”

'They all beat him up. I didn't want to… One of the kids looked at me and said, 'Go ahead, give him one.' Zephaniah gave the shocked man what he claimed was “a small token kick”—enough to satisfy the young criminals he was associating with.

Zephaniah later said that he became so good at pickpocketing that he saw it as an “art” in itself.

'There's something about digging into someone's wallet if they have it in their coat, if you bump into them and take them without them knowing. My trick was to take the wallet, take what I wanted and put it back,” he said.

His mother was regularly beaten by his late father and desperately tried to escape with young Zephaniah. She sought shelter in women's shelters, but was turned away: 'They wouldn't help her because she was a colored lady. They weren't used to seeing 'people like you'. So I'm angry about the lack of help she received.”

During his time in the boys' hostel, he was confronted with a different kind of horror: the hidden threat of sexual abuse. He recalled how a boy in his dormitory was harassed every night by a staff member.

Despite his early life going “off the rails,” Zephaniah said he “managed to turn the tide,” learning “not to steal” and “helping other people.”

He taught himself to read and eventually began making a name for himself performing poetry with a political twist, before later writing novels and plays.

His first poetry book Pen Rythms was released in 1980 to critical acclaim. His influences included the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he called “street politics.”

Zephaniah used his debut collection as a springboard in his campaign to revive the reputation of poetry in academia, promising to ” [it] everywhere'.

In his 2001 book Too Black Too Strong, Zephaniah describes the struggle 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 country'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.

Zephaniah, one of The Times's fifty greatest post-war writers, declined an OBE in 2003 for his services to literature, declaring himself 'proudly anti-empire'.

He documented his life in a raw and fearless autobiography, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah. He regarded his memoirs as 'a social history of Britain', which also charted the struggle for racial equality.

In 2018, while promoting the book, the poet revealed that he had hit one of his ex-girlfriends, and admitted in a candid radio interview that the way he treated some of his former partners was “appalling.”

He said that as he got older he “really regretted” his actions and apologized to the ex-girlfriend.

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

'Sometimes I could lose my patience. There was a girlfriend I had and I hit her a few times.

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

Mr Zephaniah said his increasing involvement in politics, particularly race and gender issues in Britain and South Africa, gave him a different view of women.

He said, 'I remember I was on the march and I said Freedom! International Freedom!, and I thought I'd just leave my girlfriend at home and tell her not to leave the house.

“I was 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 inspired a poem in which he wrote about “struggling together now,” which includes the line: “How do you talk about life and justice when you can't handle a domestic crisis?”

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

In addition to poetry and writing, Zephaniah also showed his talents as an actor on the small screen.

He landed small appearances on several TV shows in the 1980s and 1990s, including The Bill, and would next appear in the 1990 film Farendj, directed by Sabine Prenczina and starring Tim Roth.

But it was in 2013 that he made his big break, starring in the crime drama Peaky Blinders.

Benjamin played the role of Jeremiah in Cillian Murphy's street gang epic, often serving as the moral heart of the lawless group, earning him critical acclaim.

During his music career, Zephaniah collaborated 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 in the early hours of this morning we announce the deaths of our beloved husband, son and brother.

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

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

'Through an incredible career spanning an enormous amount of poetry, 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.

Winner of the PEN Pinter Prize and children's book writer 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, learned from him, loved him. Love and condolences to the family and also to all who loved him.”

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

Radio presenter Gemma Cairney expressed her condolences, writing: 'Such heartbreaking news. Deepest condolences to the family. Benjamin was one of our greatest.”