Alex Wheatle

Alex Alphonso Wheatle MBE (3rd January 1963) is an award winning black British novelist of Jamaican heritage and has been described as one of the UK’s most exciting writers [ [http://www.mylambeth.co.uk/brixton/arts-alexwheatle.htm An interview with author Alex Wheatle] ] .

Wheatle’s published works include:

"Brixton Rock" (1999)
"East of Acre Lane" (2001)
"The Seven Sisters" (2002)
"Checkers with Mark Parham" (2003)
"Island Songs" (2005)
"The Dirty South" (2008)

Alex Wheatle spent much of his childhood in a Surrey children’s home. At sixteen he was a founder member of the Crucial Rocker sound system and his DJ name was Yardman Irie. He wrote lyrics about his observations of every day Brixton life. By 1980 Wheatle was residing in a social services hostel in Brixton, South London. He witnessed and lived through the 1981 Brixton riots, its precursors and aftermath. Wheatle was briefly incarcerated following the Brixton riots.

He has since been called upon to talk on the subject of the Brixton riots, most prominently in the BBC programme Battle for Brixton (10/04/08 BBC Two) [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4857456.stm Opposite sides of Brixton's front line] - BBC News UK article] . His early books are based on experiences from his life living in Brixton as a teenager and his time in social services care.

Alex Wheatle was awarded London Arts Board New Writers Award for "East of Acre Lane" [ [http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth5181C8791187f1FF07sgw2124D73 Alex Wheatle - Biography] British Council, Contemporary Writers] .

In 2008 Alex Wheatle was awarded the MBE for services to literature in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list [ [http://www.honours.gov.uk/lists/2008birthday.aspx Birthday Honours List 2008] ] .

Alex Wheatles debut novel, "Brixton Rock", is to be reincarnated as a play and is currently in delvelopment at Theatre Royal Stratford East [http://www.theatreroyallondon.com/sneak_previews.php] .

Alex Wheatle lives in London

References