Benjamin Zephaniah was one of Britain’s greatest poets. He wrote for children as though they were the most important audience in the world — because he believed they were. He wrote about race, identity, belonging, and justice in language that a child could hold and carry. He died in December 2023, and the world of children’s literature is smaller without him.
Brunel University organised Benjamin Zephaniah Day to honour his legacy. Jayce Joyce was there.
Why Benjamin Zephaniah matters to Jayce
Jayce’s World exists, in part, because of the tradition that Benjamin Zephaniah represented: the idea that voices from the margins of British publishing belong at its centre, that Black British children deserve to see themselves in books, and that poetry and storytelling are not accessories to education but its very foundation.
Meeting Michael Rosen
At Benjamin Zephaniah Day, Jayce met Michael Rosen — the former Children’s Laureate and author of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, one of the most beloved picture books in the English language. Michael Rosen signed something for Jayce that day. It sits in the Jayce’s World archive.
For a 7-year-old who has read over 2,000 books, meeting someone like Michael Rosen is not just exciting. It is a confirmation that the world he is trying to build — a world where children’s stories matter and children’s voices are heard — is a world that serious, extraordinary adults also believe in.
The future he’s building
Jayce’s Books From Children To Children competition is, in many ways, his answer to Benjamin Zephaniah’s legacy. It is a space where young writers — particularly those from backgrounds that mainstream publishing overlooks — are invited to write, to submit, and to be published. The 2026 competition theme is Climate Change. The deadline is 11 September 2026. It is free to enter.
“Think It, Say It, Love It, Write It and Inspire the world.” — Jayce Joyce BCyA.
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