Poly(acryloyl-L-valine) microspheres containing peroxyester groups were prepared by copolymerization of acryloyl-L-valine with di-t-butyl peroxyfumarate in acetophenone. Graft copolymerization of some vinyl monomers onto the microspheres was carried out by photolysis or thermolysis of the peroxyester groups in the microspheres. When benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) was used as the second monomer, BzMA conversion and grafting efficiency were found to increase with time. This might be ascribed to long lifetime of the polymer radicals in the microspheres. In fact, the very stable propagating radical of BzMA was observed by ESR in the photoinduced graft copolymerization system of the microspheres and BzMA at room temperature. The copolymerization process was investigated by ESR.