Podcast festival to celebrate Benjamin Zephaniah

A special tribute to the writer and poet will take place at Birmingham City University on 5 June

Writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah is to be remembered at a podcast festival at Birmingham City University.

"Proud Brummie," Zephaniah died in December, eight weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

A special tribute from podcaster George the Poet and academic Dr Martin Glynn, one of Zephaniah’s long-time friends, will be given at the UniPodFest.

The festival on 5 June will celebrate podcasters from across the region and includes workshops, discussions, and networking opportunities.

Festival director Nina Robinson said the first thing she wanted to do was to honour the poet at this year's event.

"Benjamin Zephaniah has always been inspiring, and he embodies so much of what is wonderful about Birmingham and the talented people that live here," she said.

Born in Handsworth, Birmingham, the 65-year-old "titan of literature" wrote five novels and poetry for children, and was credited for his dub poetry work.

He was also an actor, having appeared in the BBC drama series Peaky Blinders between 2013 and 2022.

"He has given the world so much in his poetry and his unique perspective on life, which lends so much from his Jamaican heritage," Ms Robinson added.

“This has a special place in the hearts of people whose lives he has touched."

The festival will also host Hamza Syed, the host of The Trojan Horse Affair podcast, as well as workshops sharing podcast skills and knowledge.

The event is also being supported by BBC Sounds Audio Labs through a podcast competition.