Best Selling Books by Benjamin Zephaniah

Welcome to the wild and wicked words of Benjamin Zephaniah. You''ll find loads of cool people who make up our world in this rapping, happening hip-hop collection. From the South Pole to Mongolia and the Himalayas, this is a real world tour of poems about people and places, cultures and nationalities across our planet. Includes poems about Inuits, Celts, the history of Britain, Maories, the Dalai Lama, the North and South Poles, and much more - a rhyming round-the-world trip. Poems that bounce up from the page and demand to be read, rapped, sung and hip-hopped aloud - Independent on Sunday

''A brilliant first novel'' Guardian In the moving and compelling debut novel from Benjamin Zephaniah, a young man''s life is completely changed when his face is badly scarred in a car accident. Martin seems to have it all. He''s cool, funny, and he''s the undisputed leader of the Gang of Three, who roam their East London estate during the holidays looking for fun. But one night after the Gang leave a late night rap club, Martin accepts a ride from Pete, a Raider''s Posse gang member. Too late, he realises that the car is stolen, and that the police are after them. What happens next will change Martin''s life and looks, and show him the true meaning of strength, courage, discrimination and friendship. Brilliantly written and with a real ear for dialogue, fans of Angie Thomas and Malorie Blackman will love Benjamin Zephaniah''s novels for young adult readers: Refugee Boy Face Gangsta Rap Teacher''s Dead

*BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week* Benjamin Zephaniah, who has travelled the world for his art and his humanitarianism, now tells the one story that encompasses it all: the story of his life. In the early 1980s when punks and Rastas were on the streets protesting about unemployment, homelessness and the National Front, Benjamin’s poetry could be heard at demonstrations, outside police stations and on the dance floor. His mission was to take poetry everywhere, and to popularise it by reaching people who didn’t read books. His poetry was political, musical, radical and relevant. By the early 1990s, Benjamin had performed on every continent in the world (a feat which he achieved in only one year) and he hasn’t stopped performing and touring since. Nelson Mandela, after hearing Benjamin’s tribute to him while he was in prison, requested an introduction to the poet that grew into a lifelong relationship, inspiring Benjamin’s work with children in South Africa. Benjamin would also go on to be the first artist to record with The Wailers after the death of Bob Marley in a musical tribute to Nelson Mandela. The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah is a truly extraordinary life story which celebrates the power of poetry and the importance of pushing boundaries with the arts.

A new poetry collection from Benjamin Zephaniah highlights the diversity of British society through its children. Here are 12 poems, each one about a child in his or her home environment. Along with the poem comes a brief text explaining the child''s background and history. The subjects include a Kurdistani refugee, a Chinese pop star wannabe, a Grenadan boy who loves cricket, and nine others. The book''s lesson, rendered in fun, inventive rhymes, is that kids are basically the same regardless of their background. Illustrated with Prodeepta Das'' vibrant photographs, We Are Britain! is a fascinating and fun collection.

Winner of The Queen''s Knickers Award 2024 To walk to To talk to To cry and rely on, People will always need people . . . From the creators of Nature Trail comes an uplifting picture book about the power of people, and the importance of connecting with others. This timely poem reminds us all to be kind to one another. Written by legendary poet, Benjamin Zephaniah, one of The Times'' top 50 British post-war writers. Beautifully illustrated by Nila Aye. Praise for Nature Trail: A joy to read with small children - Independent

An eye for an eye. It''s very simple. You choose your homeland like a hyena picking and choosing where he steals his next meal from. Scavenger. Yes you grovel to the feet of Mengistu and when his people spit at you and kick you from the bowl you scuttle across the border. Scavenger. As a violent civil war rages back home in Ethiopia, teenager Alem and his father are in a bed and breakfast in Berkshire. It''s his best holiday ever. The next morning his father is gone and has left a note explaining that he and his mother want to protect Alem from the war. This strange grey country of England is now his home. On his own, and in the hands of the social services and the Refugee Council, Alem lives from letter to letter, waiting to hear something from his father. Then he meets car-obsessed Mustapha, the lovely ''out-of-your-league'' Ruth and dangerous Sweeney – three unexpected allies who spur him on in his fight to be seen as more than just the Refugee Boy. Lemn Sissay''s remarkable stage adaptation of Benjamin Zephaniah''s bestselling novel is published here in the Methuen Drama Student Edition series, featuring commentary & notes by Professor Lynette Goddard (Royal Holloway, University of London, UK) that help the student unpack the play''s themes, language, structure and production history to date.

Benjamin Zephaniah decides he has had enough of London. So he takes off to China, specifically to Shaolin Temple, the spiritual home of martial arts and kung fu. Benjamin wants to take on an instructor who will teach him more about kung fu. But finding a good instructor is difficult, and the instructor he does finally locate is not only called ''Iron Breath'' but also proves a very hard taskmaster . . . An extraordinary snapshot of Benjamin''s life plus Benjamin''s own views on politics, Buddhism, kung fu, vegans and much else. But this is also a fascinating insight into China itself, and the huge variety of people who Benjamin meets - who react very differently to the appearance of a Rasta in their midst: on occasions even fainting or bowing to Benjamin, thinking he is a god!

City Psalms was Benjamin Zephaniah''s first collection from Bloodaxe back in 1992. It includes some of his best-known poems, including ''Dis Poetry'', ''Money'' and ''Us and Dem''. Best known for his performance poetry with a political edge for adults - and his poetry with attitude for children - Zephaniah has his own rap/reggae band. He has produced numerous recordings, including Dub Ranting (1982), Rasta (1983), Us and Dem (1990), Back to Roots (1995), Belly of de Beast (1996) and Naked (2004). 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. Their later meetings led to Zephaniah working with children in South African townships and hosting the President''s Two Nations Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1996. His first book of poems, Pen Rhythm, was produced in 1980 by a small East London publishing cooperative, Page One Books. His second collection, The Dread Affair, was published by Hutchinson''s short-lived Arena imprint in 1985. He has since published three collections with Bloodaxe, City Psalms (1992), Propa Propaganda (1996) and Too Black Too Strong (2001), the latter including poems written while working with Michael Mansfield QC and other Tooks barristers on the Stephen Lawrence case. To Do Wid Me, filmed by Pamela Robertson-Pearce (Bloodaxe Books, 2013), includes a full-length feature film on DVD with all the poems performed on the film included in the book.

Bejamin Zephaniah is one of Britain''s most popular poets. In his first new book of poems for five years, he addresses the problems of black Britain more forcefully than in previous books.

''The playful, obstinate and courageously humorous tone of Zephaniah''s writing shines through ... hilarious and later heartbreaking'' Guardian A teacher is dead, murdered by two of his students in front of the whole school. Right in front of Jackson Jones. But Mr Joseph was a good man – people liked him, respected him. How could those boys stab him and jog away like nothing had happened? Unable to process what he has seen, Jackson begins his own investigation: everyone knows who did it, but as Jackson uncovers more about the boys, he becomes convinced that people need to understand why. Brilliantly written and with a real ear for dialogue, fans of Angie Thomas and Malorie Blackman will love Benjamin Zephaniah''s novels for young adult readers: Refugee Boy Face Gangsta Rap Teacher''s Dead

A reissue of TALKING TURKEYS by street poet Benjamin Zephaniah. Talking Turkeys is an unconventional collection of straight-talking poems about heroes, revolutions, racism, love and animal rights, among other subjects, that will entice many new readers to poetry. It is his very first ground-breaking children''s poetry collection - playful, clever and provocative - this is performance poetry on the page at its very best. Benjamin Zephaniah was born in Birmingham and then spent some of his early years in Jamaica. He came to London when he was 22 and his first book of poetry for adults was published soon after. He appears regularly on radio and TV including a Desert Island Discs appearance, literary festivals, and has also taken part in plays and films. He is most well-known for his performance poetry with a political edge for both children and adults and gritty teenage fiction. His collections Talking Turkeys, Wicked World and Funky Chickens broke new ground in children''s poetry. He is the only Rastafarian poet to be short-listed for the Chairs of Poetry for both Oxford and Cambridge University and has been listed in The Times'' list of 50 greatest postwar writers. Benjamin now lives in Lincolnshire.

Enter the crazy world of rap poet Benjamin Zephaniah! A reissue of the wonderfully irreverent collection of poetry for young people, touching on anything from vegetables to the Queen and from sewage to the sun. There''s plenty of humour as well as poems on racism, pollution and the murder of a cat.

''A fairytale of hip-hop success ... teens will enjoy the thrilling music fantasy, while many will identify with the smart, talented boys who grow up quickly and rescue themselves'' Booklist An electrifying novel from hugely popular performance poet and novelist Benjamin Zephaniah, exploring the rap music scene, inequality and three boys caught up in it Just what do you do with talent from the wrong side of town? Benjamin Zephaniah draws on his own experiences with school and the music business to create a novel that speaks with passion and immediacy about the rap scene. Ray has trouble at home, and he has trouble at school – until he''s permanently excluded and ends up sleeping on the floor of a record shop. What happens to a boy like Ray? If he''s lucky, maybe he gets a chance to shine. The story of three boys who aren''t easy. They don''t fit in. They seem to attract trouble. But they know what they want, and they''ve got the talent to back it up ... Brilliantly written and with a real ear for dialogue, fans of Angie Thomas and Malorie Blackman will love Benjamin Zephaniah''s novels for young adult readers: Refugee Boy Face Gangsta Rap Teacher''s Dead

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level

Despite his best efforts to stay on the right side of the law, Rico is angry and frustrated at the injustices he sees happening at home and around the world. He wants to do something - but what? When he is approached by Speech, a mysterious man who shares his hacktivist interests, Rico is given the perfect opportunity to speak out about injustice. After all, what harm can a peaceful cyber protest do.

This innovative book takes an alternative look at 12 occupations and the people who fill them. It''s aim is to open up children''s imaginations to the possibility that there are many more roles open to them than they may think. It doesn''t just simply depict male nurses, female engineers and similar familiar sterotype-busting examples, but more broad-ranging examples of unusual people doing unusual jobs, such as Sikh lollipop man, a female clown and a black British Space Scientist. Benjamin Zephaniah''s lyrical and amusing text also draws on his own experience of being stereotyped and misjudged because of the colour of his skin and the stle of his hair. Prodeepta Das is a master of photographing people in everyday situations and he brings to this project all the skill that made We Are Britain such an outstanding book. Jobs featured: Lollipop man, Clown, Space Scientist, Laywer, Concervational, Farmer, Vet, Pilot, Illustrator, Chef, Museum Director, Architect.

A joyful celebration of nature and the wonder of the world around us by legendary poet and performer Benjamin Zephaniah, one of The Times'' top 50 British post-war writers. At the bottom of my garden, there''s a hedgehog and a frog, And a lot of creepy-crawlies living underneath a log . . . All around us, from parks to gardens and flowerpots to pavements, there''s a world of wonder just waiting to be discovered. Why not look a little closer and see what you find? This joyful celebration of nature reminds us all to take a closer look at the world around us, and enjoy the wonder of nature wherever we find it. Packed with animals and minibeasts galore, this imaginative rhyming text is perfect for reading aloud.

Millions of people know Benjamin Zephaniah''s voice. The popular Rasta poet has given readings around the world, from Palestine to Argentina, as well as throughout Britain - in schools and colleges, youth clubs and prisons, theatres and music venues. Benjamin Zephaniah was born in Birmingham, and grew up in Jamaica and in Handsworth, where he was sent to an approved school for being rebellious and ''a born failure'', ending up in jail for burglary. After prison he turned from crime to music and poetry. In 1989 he was nominated for Oxford Professor of Poetry.

Rap along with Benjamin Zephaniah to the beat of his unique performance poetry. Poems taken mainly from the books Talking turkeys and Funky chickens.

"poems for NOW. Benjamin Zephaniah has a lot to say. His humour, anger, passion and contentiousness have already established him as one of the most important and popular of Britain''s new wave of performing poets. His poems speak for themselves."--

From Cricket to Pumpkin, from Hummingbird to Yam - this is a photographic alphabet showing Jamaica in all its colourful diversity. In vibrant rhyming verse, Benjamin Zephaniah explores some of the sights, sounds and tastes of Jamaica, from the bustling capital of Kingston, to the peaceful and serene Blue Mountain. A perfect way to introduce children to this small and beautiful Caribbean island with a big heart.

Aimed primarily at children, but doubtless appealing to some adults as well, this collection of poems is aimed at the caring, dedicated young vegans of this world. As well as including 22 poems from the radical rapper and People''s Laureate, the book also contains an extensive contact list of national and international vegan and animal rights organisations.

In this heart-stopping adventure based on real historical events, Benjamin Zephaniah shows us an important and intriguing time in Britain that''s sure to fascinate young readers.

A powerfully moving and beautiful picture book about the voyage of HMT Empire Windrush from national treasure, Benjamin Zephaniah.

Everything is going Martin''s way. The holidays have started, he''s got a gorgeous girlfriend and everyone agrees he''s the coolest dancer around. But when his world is turned upside down by a crash in a stolen car, he has to come to terms with more than his facial injuries.

With brand-new poems by Benjamin Zephaniah

A moving portrayal of teenage life and ambition set against a background of adversity, Zephaniah''s poetry suffuses the play with rhythm and flavour.

Poems Not for School

This anthology of poems, selected by novelist Benjamin Zephaniah, is based on the theme of love.

A new playful picture book from the award-winning makers of Nature Trail and People Need People, celebrating the magic of poetry. There''s a poem on your face, there''s a poem in the sky There''s a poem in outerspace, there are poems passing by . . . From in your head and in your dreams, to on your nose or even on your slice of toast, there are poems everywhere. In this poem and through his incredible legacy, Benjamin Zephaniah demonstrates how poetry is truly all around us. Everyone has a poem inside of them, waiting to be discovered. Written by legendary poet, Benjamin Zephaniah, one of The Times'' top 50 British post-war writers, and beautifully illustrated by his ''partner in rhyme'', Nila Aye. Don''t miss Nature Trail and People Need People - winner of the Queen''s Knickers Award 2024.