Funeral for Benjamin Zephaniah takes place

The funeral of Benjamin Zephaniah has been held after his death at the age of 65.

The pioneering writer and poet was remembered as a "titan of British literature" when he died earlier this month.

Zephaniah passed away with his wife by his side after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, a statement said.

The poet's social media channels said the service was taking place on Thursday and asked people to plant flowers and trees to remember him.

Zephaniah was born and raised in Handsworth, Birmingham, and left school unable to read or write at the age of 13.

He would go on to popularize dub poetry, publish several books and become a familiar face on television.

Tributes from across the entertainment world poured in when his death was announced on 7 December.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Malik Al Nasir said it was an "honour and a privilege" to attend the funeral alongside fellow poet Lemn Sissay and many others, adding that Zephaniah's legacy would live on.

The Windrush National Organisation also paid tribute to him.

A social media post from Zephaniah's official account said he did not like flowers without roots, but asked people to consider planting their own instead.

"We recommend that if you want to, please plant something like flowers or trees anywhere you wish and name them as Benjamin Zephaniah in memory of him," the post read.

People were told they could also donate to the Vegan Society if they wished.

On top of his writing work, Zephaniah was an actor and appeared in the BBC drama series Peaky Blinders between 2013 and 2022.

He famously rejected an OBE in 2003 due to the association of such an honour with the British Empire and its history of slavery.