About this Event
The first annual Benjamin Zephaniah Community Lecture was delivered by spoken word performer George the Poet in October 2025. This year, we are delighted to be hosting Afua Hirsch for our second event.
Afua Hirsch is a journalist, broadcaster, former barrister, and author, whose books include best-sellers such as ‘Brit(ish)’ and the ‘Decolonising my Body’ series. She is a regular contributor to the Guardian and Sky News and has hosted the BBC Series ‘Enslaved’ alongside Samuel L Jackson. She is a leading voice on the topics of race, identity and social justice – a great fit to celebrate the life and work of Benjamin.
There will also be spoken word performances from two of Birmingham's former Poet Laureates, Ayan Aden and Casey Bailey.
Delivered in partnership with the College of Arts and Law EDI team.
Details
Start time: We will be hosting a small artisan market at the event with local booksellers, artists and showcasing local organisations. This will be open from 5pm, so do come along!
Doors for the lecture will open from 6.00pm, with the lecture starting at 6.30pm.
Location: Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham. Click here to view our campus map.
Q&A: We will be holding a Q&A after the main conversation with Afua. If you'd like to ask her any questions, please confirm these in the form or contact us in advance of the event.
Travelling to the University: Find out more about travelling to campus here. Parking is free on campus after 6pm. Prior to 6pm, visitor parking is available at the North-East Multi-storey Car Park (Pritchatts Road, B15 2SA).
Accessibility: An accessibility guide for the building can be found here.
Event venue & nearby stays
Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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