From B to Z

As part of mapping his lineage through poetic verse, From B to Z is an ambitious collection that refuses to sit still. Whitter commits to generational discourse by moving fluidly between vernacular as read in FYACRACKr (2024) and Chappy (2022) - sometimes within the same breath - crafting a bridge that is distinctly Midlands in voice, distinctly diasporic, and entirely his own within the framing of new and refined poetic forms. This book is a homage in dialogue with the great Benjamin Zephaniah, who lovingly haunts these pages whilst Whitter frames his poetic growth as a dedication running through the collection: a tribute insisting on its own trajectory that is elegiac in approach but celebratory in tone.Whitter was moved to write this collection as himself and Zephaniah share many common threads: both are of caribbean heritage; both champion voices outside of themselves; and both have found home in Handsworth, Birmingham. Yet, how do these commonalities manifest through different generations? What variances occur in their experiences when compared? What can we celebrate as one poet emerges whilst another leaves the Earth? Enjoy your read of poetry through these similarities - as well as any differences - through kinship as found by Ruben Whitter's lens. Read more