(Jamaica Gleaner) – Dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who is shortlisted for next month’s selection of the UK Poet Laureate, says he would, if chosen, decline the position because of what he said were its imperialistic and anti-poetic qualities.
“It is the worst job in the world,” he told Splash in a phone interview. “I have ruled myself out. I really don’t want this job.”
The poet, who is of Jamaican parentage, had in 2003 rejected the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Zephaniah, who is Rastafarian, denounced the honour to protest British imperialism and the country’s involvement in the Iraq war.
“A job where I am supposed to write about the royal family and not be critical of them is anti-poetic,” said Zephaniah. “Poets need intellectual freedom to criticise and to praise.”
The UK Government has said that the public would influence the choice of Poet Laureate, but not by a vote.
Zephaniah said that a decade ago he was also a favourite for the post. “They had two polls on who should win, on one poll I came first and another I came second,” he said. “And back then I said no. And now I don’t even want to be in the debate because there are a lot more exciting and important things I want to talk about.”
He said that he wants to adapt for film his last novel, Teacher’s Dead, which tells the story of two students killing a teacher in front of the school. He is also interested in participating in an inquest on the September 2003 death of his cousin, Michael Powell, in police custody.
“The inquest was supposed to start in May but they had to reschedule it,” he said. “It is sounding like it is going to be August.”
The current Poet Laureate is Andrew Motion, who ends his decade-long tenure in May. Motion had stated that the post facilitated writer’s block and Zephaniah, in “Bought and Sold”, a poem about the position, wrote: “Don’t take my word/ check the verse/ every Laureate gets worse”.
The position of Poet Laureate had been vested for life but was adjusted to a decade since Motion’s tenure.
The salary is £5,000 according to the TimesOnline in London and BBC News had shortlisted Zephaniah for the post along with Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy, Roger McGough, and Jackie Kay.
Motion has been hard at work trying to give his role more general public relevance, writing verse to mark events and causes of more personal public concern, such as the Paddington rail disaster and the charity Childline.
Said Motion on his website: “I see myself as a town crier, can-opener and flag-waver for poetry as well as wanting to write poems about various events that seem suitable to me.”
