Benjamin Zephaniah

Winner of the Margaret Mallett Award 2026Follow a little boy's friendship and journey with one tree, in this powerful and beautiful love letter to nature. From master wordsmith, Benjamin Zephaniah, comes a breathtaking new poem and story showing how trees offer us the perspective and connection to nature we crave in our daily lives. The final scene is an honest representation of the devastating effects of deforestation and urban development, encouraging all of us, everywhere, to 'leave the trees, please'. With resplendent illustrations from bestselling Melissa Castrillón, this book is both magnificent and timely. Also available in hardback.

A joyful picture book that celebrates the magic of poetry, from the award-winning makers of Nature Trail and People Need People. There''s a poem on your faceThere''s a poem in the skyThere''s a poem in outta spaceThere are poems passing byPoems are EVERYWHERE - in your dreams, on your fingers and in your teeth! There''s even a poem in you. Can''t you see it? It''s right there. Get ready to see poems wherever you are in this toe-tapping celebration of rhythm and rhyme from award-winning poet Benjamin Zephaniah, beautifully illustrated by Nila Aye.Praise for Nature Trail:''A joy to read with small children'' - Independent

A ground-breaking poem on the legacy of Stephen Lawrence from national treasure Benjamin Zephaniah."The death of Stephen LawrenceHas taught us to love each other..."With extra information provided alongside Benjamin''s powerful words and Joelle Avelino''s striking illustration, this book is an indispensable tool for helping children aged 9+ to understand identity, diversity, justice, respect and racism.

Benjamin Zephaniah (1958-2023) was a writer and performer of extraordinary range: an oral poet, novelist, playwright, children’s writer, reggae artist, actor, television personality and political activist. Born and raised in Birmingham, he was sent to an approved school for being uncontrollable, rebellious and ‘a born failure’, ending up in jail for burglary and affray. After prison he turned from crime to music and poetry. He was later nominated for Oxford Professor of Poetry, and voted Britain’s third favourite poet of all time (after T.S. Eliot and John Donne) in a BBC poll. Benjamin was a poet who wouldn't stay silent, who didn't pull any punches, who wrote out of a sense of urgency and a commitment to social justice. Known for his performance poetry with a political edge for adults as well as his poetry with attitude for children, he had his own rap/reggae band. He was the first person to record with the Wailers after the death of Bob Marley, in a musical tribute to Nelson Mandela, which Mandela heard while in prison on Robben Island. Dis Poetry brings together all the poems from Benjamin’s three Bloodaxe collections, City Psalms (1992), Propa Propaganda (1996) and Too Black, Too Strong (2001), as well as some from The Dread Affair (1985), along with previously unpublished work and lyrics from various recordings. The book includes a QR code giving access to Pamela Robertson-Pearce's feature film To Do Wid Me originally released as a DVD-book in 2015 – enabling you to see and hear Benjamin performing in full over 20 of the poems in Dis Poetry on your phone while reading the book.

Follow a little boy''s friendship and journey with one tree, in this powerful and beautiful love letter to nature. From master wordsmith, Benjamin Zephaniah, comes a breathtaking new poem and story showing how trees offer us the perspective and connection to nature we crave in our daily lives. The final scene is an honest representation of the devastating effects of deforestation and urban development, encouraging all of us, everywhere, to ''leave the trees, please''.With resplendent illustrations from bestselling Melissa Castrillon, this book is both magnificent and timely.