Peaky Blinders actor Benjamin Zephaniah dies at 65, family issues statement

Peaky Blinders famed Benjamin Zephaniah died at the age of 65 on Thursday, December 7. The actor who was also a British poet and author, passed away following a brief illness, his family announced on his official X account. According to the statement, the 65-year-old's brain tumour diagnosis was made just eight weeks ago. 

Benjamin Zephaniah’s family issues statement

“We shared him with the world and we know many will be shocked and saddened by this news,” the family said. “Benjamin’s wife was by his side throughout and was with him when he passed.”

Zephaniah, who was born in Birmingham in central England on April 15, 1958, was a sharp-witted and often provocative presence across British media as well as regularly performing at political gatherings and demonstrations.

Widely recognizable from his long dreadlocks and his local accent, Zephaniah was never shy in espousing his views on bigotry, racism, refugees, revolutions and healthy eating. Arguably, he was the most well-known poet in Britain of his time, equally at home performing in school classrooms or at big political rallies.

Benjamin Zephaniah’s career path

In his 20s, he travelled to London, where his first book Pen Rhythm was published. He would subsequently write collections focusing on particular issues, including the U.K. legal system and Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.

His writing was often classified as dub poetry, which emerged in Jamaica in the 1970s combining reggae beats with a hard-hitting political message. He also was a prolific children’s poet and a founding member of The Black Writers’ Guild, which said it was in “mourning at the loss of a deeply valued friend and a titan of British literature.

Since 2011, he had been chair of creative writing at Brunel University in northwest London, where he was a professor. Brunel described Zephaniah as a “national treasure” and praised the “immense contribution” he made to university life.

Zephaniah also held honorary degrees from multiple British universities. He had an array of talents, which he displayed performing with the group “The Benjamin Zephaniah Band” and acting in recent years on the popular BBC television drama Peaky Blinders. His television show Life and Rhymes on Sky Arts, which showcased lyrical creativity, won a BAFTA, Britain’s equivalent of the Emmy awards, for Entertainment Program of the Year in 2021.

(with inputs from AP)