British poet and self-professed ‘anarchist’ Benjamin Zephaniah dies at age 65

By PAN PYLAS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British poet, political activist, musician and actor Benjamin Zephaniah has died at age 65. Zephaniah drew inspiration from his Caribbean roots. His family said in a statement that Zephaniah died on Thursday after being diagnosed with a brain tumor eight weeks ago. Zephaniah was born in Birmingham and is best known for his work on racism, refugees and healthy eating. Equally at home performing in school classrooms or at big political rallies, he was arguably the most well-known poet in Britain of his time. He also appeared on the popular BBC television show “Peaky Blinders.” His family said that Zephaniah “leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy.”