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\n Qian Zephaniah (left) and Jen Ridding, Head of Engagement and Learning at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.<\/p>\n
\n Qian Zephaniah (left) and Jen Ridding, Head of Engagement and Learning at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.<\/p>\n
\n Poems inspired by the life and works of internationally acclaimed poet, author and activist Benjamin Zephaniah are set to take over Birmingham Botanical Gardens this spring.\n <\/p>\n
From Monday 2 March, visitors will not only be able to read all 18 winning poems from Birmingham City University\u2019s 2025 Benjamin Zephaniah Future Writers competition but also listen to them being recited – bringing each piece vividly to life.<\/p>\n
Qian Zephaniah, Benjamin\u2019s wife, said: \u201cBenjamin believed that poetry should live and breathe in the world, not sit quietly on shelves. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, to have these voices \u2013 inspired by his work \u2013 echoing through the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, where he loved to walk and think, feels like coming home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thousands of young and emerging writers from across the UK entered the second annual Future Writers competition, submitting poems inspired by Zephaniah\u2019s book Nature Trail.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The winning entries, which will be dotted around the Gardens until 17 May 2026, explore themes rooted in the natural world – from environmental responsibility and caring for the planet, to the everyday spaces people inhabit, and the powerful role nature plays in shaping lives.<\/p>\n
Birmingham-born Zephaniah, known for his passionate advocacy for social justice, equality and the environment, died in 2023 aged 63.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the power of the Future Writers competition to carry Benjamin\u2019s legacy forward, Qian added: \u201cTo every young poet who entered: you kept his spirit alive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTo every winner: your words now bloom where his once did.\u00a0To everyone who visits: let these poems remind you that nature nurtures us, and that poetry \u2013 like a garden \u2013 grows best when it’s shared.<\/p>\n
“Keep writing. Keep growing. Keep making the world more beautiful with your words.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The project forms part of an ongoing strategic partnership between the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Birmingham City University.<\/p>\n
Professor Hanifa Shah, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Enterprise, Engagement and STEAM at BCU, said: \u201cBenjamin Zephaniah was not only one of Birmingham\u2019s most celebrated literary voices, but also a passionate advocate for young people, creativity and social change.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis collaboration with Birmingham Botanical Gardens reflects our shared commitment to connecting people, place and planet – and to creating opportunities for emerging writers to see, hear and share their work in a truly meaningful public setting.<\/p>\n
“It is a powerful way to honour Benjamin\u2019s legacy while nurturing the creative talent of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Qian Zephaniah (left) and Jen Ridding, Head of Engagement and Learning at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Poems inspired…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":801667,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[22440,22441,855,9163,22439,748,9444,1354,393,9453,4884,14987,269,12,3669,9440,93,16823,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-801666","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-102-5","9":"tag-102-5-fm","10":"tag-birmingham","11":"tag-black-country","12":"tag-brierley-hill","13":"tag-britain","14":"tag-dab","15":"tag-dudley","16":"tag-england","17":"tag-fm","18":"tag-great-britain","19":"tag-halesowen","20":"tag-music","21":"tag-news","22":"tag-online","23":"tag-radio","24":"tag-sport","25":"tag-stourbridge","26":"tag-uk","27":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116166478197248115","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=801666"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801666\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/801667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=801666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=801666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=801666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}