Poet, novelist and playwright, Benjamin Zephaniah was born in Jamaica in 1958 and raised in Birmingham , UK . Moving to London in 1979, he published his first book of poems, Pen Rhythm, in 1980. He often performed oral poetry with musicians resulting in the 1983 release of Dub Rantings which led to tracks being played at rallies against unemployment, homelessness and far right politics. He has campaigned towards introducing poetry to a wide audience, frequently performed at festivals and appeared on television and radio. Benjamin tells us why he rejected the much-coveted OBE, the invitation to be appointed officer of the Order of the British Empire .