University names building in honour of late poet Benjamin Zephaniah
Zephaniah, the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse, was dyslexic and unable to read or write when he left school aged 13.Yet he went on to have a career that included performing dub poetry, writing novels and children's books, and appearing in the BBC series Peaky Blinders.BCU awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2005.
Zephaniah died eight weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, sparking tributes across his home city that have so far included an open-air exhibition, a mural, and a commemorative blue plaque.BCU also launched a poetry competition last year in his honour. The contest launched its second edition last week and is open for entries until 21 July.Zephaniah's wife Qian, Birmingham poet laureate Ayan Aden, and Baroness Mary Bousted, former joint general secretary of the National Education Union, attended the BCU building's official opening last week.The building, which is on the university's city centre campus, has science labs, a space for design and technology, an art room, and general teaching rooms.
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