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Benjamin Zephaniah on life, rhymes and spirituality

Kate and Jason meet those who helped Manchester unite after last year's arena attack and pioneering poet and Rastafarian Benjamin Zephaniah drops into the studio.

Pioneering performance poet and Rastafarian Benjamin Zephaniah joins Jason Mohammad and the Rev Kate Bottley in studio to talk about his autobiography. Detailing his colourful life growing up in 1960s Birmingham, facing racism and dabbling in criminality, Benjamin talks about how he found poetry, his huge success, friendship with Nelson Mandela and Rastafarian belief.

It's nearly a year since the terror attack at the Manchester Arena after Ariana Grande's concert, in which 22 people lost their lives. Kate and Jason talk to those who offered help and brought the city together in the immediate aftermath of the attack. They find out how that spirit of unity has continued in the last year and the bravery of those affected but also how the ripples of trauma have impacted individual lives.

Rukia Shepherd and Julia Reason are volunteers for the Red Cross, who were deployed the next day to Oldham Hospital to support bereaved families and staff. Prakash Singh and Furqan Naeem share how people from the Sikh and Muslim communities came out to help fellow Mancunians, both at the time and in the months that followed. And Victoria Sharpe, a survivor of the attack, describes the psychological impact of what she witnessed and how she's trying to move forward, with the help of a charity called the Survivors Assistance Network.

2 hours, 57 minutes

Last on

Sun 20 May 2018 06:05
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2

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Music Played

  • Gallagher & Lyle

    I Wanna Stay With You

    • Gallagher & Lyle - Breakaway.
    • River Records.

  • Taylor Swift

    Delicate

    • (CD Single).
    • Big Machine.

  • Worship Central

    Stir A Passion

  • Nat King Cole

    Every Time I Feel The Spirit

  • Jack Savoretti

    Catapult

    • (CD Single).
    • BMG.
    • 001.

  • The Shires

    Sleepwalk

    • Accidentally On Purpose.
    • Decca.
    • 004.

  • London Community Gospel Choir

    Feel the Spirit

  • Travis

    Sing

    • The Invisible Band (Deluxe Edition).
    • Concord.

  • ABBA

    Summer Night City

    • Abba - More Abba Gold.
    • Polydor.

  • Gabrielle

    Show Me

    • (CD Single).
    • BMG Rights Management (UK).

  • Boy Meets Girl

    Waiting For A Star To Fall

    • The All Time Greatest Movie Songs.
    • Columbia/Sony Tv.

  • Ariana Grande

    One Last Time

    • My Everything.
    • Republic Records.

  • Sting

    If I Ever Lose My Faith In You

    • The Very Best Of Sting & The Police.
    • A&M.

  • The Detroit Spinners

    The Rubberband Man

    • 25 Years Of Rock'n'Roll 1976 Vol.2.
    • Connoisseur Collection.
    • 16.

  • Gilbert O’Sullivan

    Where Did You Go To

    • (CD Single).
    • Union Square Music.

  • The Doobie Brothers

    Long Train Runnin'

    • The Very Best Of The Doobie Brothers.
    • Warner Bros.

  • Jess Glynne

    I'll Be There

    • Always In Between.
    • Atlantic.

  • Oasis

    Don't Look Back In Anger

    • This Year's Love (Various Artists) C.
    • Global Television.

  • Faith Hill

    This Kiss

    • New Hits 99 (Various Artists).
    • Global Television.

  • Leonard Cohen

    Hallelujah

    • More Best Of Leonard Cohen.
    • Columbia.
    • 2.

  • Christopher Cross

    Ride Like The Wind

    • Christopher Cross.
    • Warner Bros.

Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin Zephaniah will be joining Kate and Jason to discuss his latest book, "The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah"

Broadcast

  • Sun 20 May 2018 06:05
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2