An Evening with Benjamin Zephaniah, Stratford Picture House

Birmingham's brightest, boldest bard discusses his new novel Terror Kid, inspired by the 2011 London riots, and reflects on contemporary challenges from terrorism to hacktivism.

He's known for a poetic voice that can dazzle the critics while captivating the disinterested and disenfranchised. Benjamin Zephaniah's writing, both poetry and prose, is famed for an unflinching yet gently comic look at pressing, contemporary issues such as racism, violence and social injustice. His verse is vivified by pulse of Caribbean music and draws inspiration from dub and hip-hop rhythms in an innovative fusion of high and low culture that has inspired both urban musicians and poets.

Now, in his first novel for seven years, Zephaniah returns to prose to tackle another relevant social issue. Terror Kid is inspired by the London riots of 2011 and explores the way in which one boy's beliefs and ardour are corrupted and overpowered but the destructive forces that surround him. The social struggle underlying this story will serve as a mere springboard for the ever eloquent and deeply passionate Zepahaniah, as he discusses topical issues including terrorism, hacktivism and the challenges facing young people. 

As vibrant and charismatic in person as he in his writing, Zephaniah is an unmissable speaker for both adults and young people. He sparks open conversation about sophisticated and searingly important ideas, and his own creative success is inspirational. Though the severity of his dyslexia meant that traditional schooling left Zephaniah almost illiterate, his instinctive flair for the rhythm of words, coupled with an innate ability to capture the everyday injustices surrounding his saw his popularity grow until he was hailed as a literary talent and even offered an OBE. Never one to follow the rules of the establishment, Zephaniah famously responded to this offer with a blunt "Up yours"...