{"product_id":"too-black-too-strong-benjamin-zephaniah-9781852245542","title":"Too Black, Too Strong","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eToo Black, Too Strong\u003c\/em\u003e is Benjamin Zephaniah's third collection from Bloodaxe. It addresses the struggles of black Britain more forcefully than all his previous books. With poems like 'Chant of a Homesick Nigga' and 'Kill Them Before Ramadan', he showed he was a poet who wouldn't stay silent, who didn't pull any punches, writing out of a sense of urgency and a commitment to social justice. He opened this hard-hitting and blackly funny book of poems with an outspoken comment on where he came from, setting his poetry against the political landscape of Britain. The book includes poems written while he was working with Michael Mansfield QC and other Tooks barristers on the Stephen Lawrence case.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBest known for his performance poetry with a political edge for adults - and his poetry with attitude for children - Zephaniah had his own rap\/reggae band. He produced numerous recordings, including \u003cem\u003eDub Ranting\u003c\/em\u003e (1982), \u003cem\u003eRasta\u003c\/em\u003e (1983), \u003cem\u003eUs and Dem\u003c\/em\u003e (1990), \u003cem\u003eBack to Roots\u003c\/em\u003e (1995), \u003cem\u003eBelly of de Beast\u003c\/em\u003e (1996) and \u003cem\u003eNaked\u003c\/em\u003e (2004). He was the first person to record with the Wailers after the death of Bob Marley, in a musical tribute to Nelson Mandela, which Mandela heard while in prison on Robben Island. Their later meetings led to Zephaniah working with children in South African townships and hosting the President's Two Nations Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1996.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis first book of poems, \u003cem\u003ePen Rhythm\u003c\/em\u003e, was produced in 1980 by a small East London publishing cooperative, Page One Books. His second collection, \u003cem\u003eThe Dread Affair\u003c\/em\u003e, was published by Hutchinson's short-lived Arena imprint in 1985. He published three collections with Bloodaxe, \u003cem\u003eCity Psalms\u003c\/em\u003e (1992), \u003cem\u003ePropa Propaganda\u003c\/em\u003e (1996) and \u003cem\u003eToo Black Too Strong\u003c\/em\u003e (2001). \u003cem\u003eTo Do Wid Me\u003c\/em\u003e, filmed by Pamela Robertson-Pearce (Bloodaxe Books, 2013), includes a full-length feature film on DVD with all the poems performed in the film - taken from all three of his collections - included in the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Benjamin Zephaniah\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1852245549\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781852245542\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Bloodaxe Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/27\/2001\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 90\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.30d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/15\/2001 pg. 714\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlack Issues Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2002 pg. 64","brand":"Benjamin Zephaniah","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44598795370751,"sku":"9781852245542","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_3d2aec1e-377a-43af-958c-758162d61696.jpg?v=1702384470","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/too-black-too-strong-benjamin-zephaniah-9781852245542","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}