Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah is a British author and poet, most famous for his novels Face and Refugee Boy. Being such a prolific author, one might be surprised to learn that Zephaniah has dyslexia and left school at age 13. Despite his many, many struggles as a teenager, the gift of an old manual typewriter during his childhood inspired him to become the writer he is today.
Zephaniah was born in the Handsworth district of Birmingham, England. When he left school at age 13, he was unable to read or write properly. When he was younger, though, he had always wanted to be a writer. He was at one point gifted a manual typewriter (now in the collection of the Birmingham Museums Trust) that ultimately changed his life. That typewriter was what inspired him to become a writer. While he encountered many struggles with crime and racism during his teenage years, he still pursued his passion for poetry. By the age of 15, he was relatively well-known in his community as a poet. Still, though, he wanted to reach a wider audience, so when he was 22, he set off for London. He ended up being caught up in the 1980s race riots while in London, an experience that would fundamentally shape his values of social justice and peace.
Zephaniah is a big advocate for peace. Not just for people, either. He’s an outspoken animal rights activist and a vegan. Peace for all is a theme reflected in many of his works. In Refugee Boy, he writes “What we really need is a culture of peace. We must become that new generation of peacemakers.”
Zephaniah’s story is truly a testament to his perseverance and drive to achieve his dreams. He never let his dyslexia hold him back, and in the face of all the hardships he was up against during his early life, he never backed down. He went on to achieve many great things, such as getting several honorary doctorates, and even ending up on The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers.
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