Jean "Binta" Breeze

Jean "Binta" Breeze

Pictured in 2007
Born 1957
Hanover, Jamaica
Occupation Writer, dub poet
Genre Poetry

Jean "Binta" Breeze MBE (born 1957)[1] is a Jamaican dub poet and storyteller. She has worked also as a theatre director, choreographer, actor and teacher. She has performed her work around the world, in the Caribbean, North America, Europe, South-East Asia and Africa, and been called "one of the most important, influential performance poets of recent years".[2]

Biography

Breeze was born and raised in rural Jamaica, and studied at the Jamaican School of Drama in Kingston with Michael Smith and Oku Onuora.[3] She first visited London early in 1985, at the invitation of Linton Kwesi Johnson, to make her debut UK performance at the International Book Fair of Radical Black and Third World Books[4][5] on 19 March that year.[6] Returning to London in September 1985, she taught Theatre Studies at Brixton College, but after two years' teaching she left in order to be able to perform full-time.[4]

She has since also written in various media. Her first book of poetry, Ryddim Ravings, was published in 1988 by the Race Today Collective.[3] She went on to write the screenplay for Hallelujah Anyhow, a co-production of the British Film Institute and Channel 4.[3] She also released several albums, contributing to Woman's Talk (1986), and recording Tracks in 1991 with Dennis Bovell's Dub Band.[3]

She has suffered from schizophrenia since her early 20s[7] and has written poetry about what she herself calls "madness". In April 2006, on the BBC Radio programme The Interview, Breeze gave her perspective on mental illness and advocated increased attention to the needs of schizophrenics who do not have a "talent" like hers.

She now lives in Leicester, England.[8]

Honours and awards

In 2003 she was awarded a NESTA Fellowship of two years, to be held in Cambridge.

She is an Honorary Creative Writing Fellow at the School of English, University of Leicester.[9]

Breeze was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to literature.[10][11]

Works

Books of poetry

Albums

References

  1. ↑ Sheri Elaine Metzger, "Jean “Binta” Breeze 1956–", Contemporary Black Biography, 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 4 March 2013.
  2. ↑ "Jean Binta Breeze", British Council, Literature.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Larkin, Colin (1998), The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 36.
  4. 1 2 Michael Reckord, "Jean Breeze: 'Poetry Has Been My Life'", The Jamaica Gleaner, 17 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Sara Taukolonga, "Making Poetry Seem Like A Breeze", The Voice, 13 August 2011.
  6. ↑ Sarah White, Roxy Harris and Sharmilla Beezmohun (eds), A Meeting of the Continents: The International Book Fair of Radical Black and Third World Books – Revisited. History, Memories, Organisation, and Programmes 1982–1995, London: New Beacon Books, 2005, p. 197.
  7. ↑ Elisabeth Mahoney, "Radio review: Out of the Vortex", The Guardian, 8 February 2011.
  8. ↑ "Poet is set to share her skill", Leicester Mercury, 19 February 2010.
  9. ↑ Honorary Creative Writing Fellows, School of English, University of Leicester.
  10. ↑ "No. 60173". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2012. p. 14.
  11. ↑ Queen's birthday honour's list 2012: MBE, The Guardian, 16 June 2012.
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