Benjamin Zephaniah (that’s me) is most grateful to Nicola Crossley, Kerri Sharp, Iain MacGregor and the whole team at Simon & Schuster for their creativity and their passion. Robert Kirby, Aoife Rice, Jodie Hodges, Rosemary Scoular, Kate Davie and Rebecca Haigh at United Agents for representing me so well over the years. Andrew Richardson and Margaret Murray done good too, and although they haven’t worked on this book, I have to send some love out to Neil Astley for taking my poetry from the stage to the page, and to Emma Matthewson for being by my side for much of my creative journey.
Linton Kwesi Johnson told me not to take my life for granted, Roger McGough told me to stop beating myself up, and Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze told me that love is the answer. They all contributed to me.