INTERNATIONALLY renowned poet and musician Benjamin Zephaniah will be at Turner Sims tomorrow for his first solo UK tour in eight years.

Professor Zephaniah will be reflecting on his remarkable life, including his close friendship with Nelson Mandela, a musical career that has included collaborations with Sinead O’Conner, and The Wailers, and his political campaigning.

The poet who is one of Britain’s most popular writers, and is widely acknowledged as the peoples’ laureate said: “I’m looking forward to being back on the road with my new show – The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah.

“I wrote my autobiography gradually, over six years, and wanted it to be a social history of Britain. It charts the struggle for racial equality in Britain, how I connected our struggle to global events, my friendships with the great and the good, and the cool and the bad, and oh yes, my life as a poet.

“I’ll be sharing stories from the book when I’m on the road and look forward to visiting towns and cities across the UK.

“They say you’re supposed to mellow with age – but I haven’t. If anything, I just seem to be getting more militant.”