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Alex Wheatle


UK flag (b.1963)

Alex Wheatle was born in 1963 to Jamaican parents living in London. He spent most of his childhood in a children's home, which he left at 14 to live in a hostel in Brixton. At 18, he was involved in the Brixton uprising and went to prison for 3 months. On his release, he continued to perform as a DJ and MC under the name Yardman Irie, moving in the early '90s on to the performance poetry circuit as The Brixton Bard. His second novel, East of Acre Lane, won the London New Writers Award (2000).
 

Genres: Young Adult Fiction
 
Series
Brixton Rock
   1. Brixton Rock (1999)
   2. Brenton Brown (2011)
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Crongton
   1. Liccle Bit (2015)
   2. Crongton Knights (2016)
   3. Straight Outta Crongton (2017)
   4. Home Girl (2019)
   5. In the Ends (2023)
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Novels
   East of Acre Lane (2001)
   The Seven Sisters (2002)
   Checkers (2003) (with Mark Parham)
   Island Songs (2005)
   The Dirty South (2008)
   Home Boys (2018)
   Cane Warriors (2020)
   The Humiliations of Welton Blake (2021)
   Kemosha of the Caribbean (2022)
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Novellas and Short Stories
   Kerb-Stain Boys (2018)
   Witness (2022)
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Non fiction show
 
Alex Wheatle recommends
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The Nigerwife (2023)
Vanessa Walters
"A superb thriller with a devastating conclusion."
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The Elemental Detectives (2022)
(Elemental Detectives, book 1)
Patrice Lawrence
"I loved reading about a re-imagining of London with so much invention and energy. The world-building is well...out of this world. Patrice Lawrence is amongst the greatest voices for young people writing today. I'm honoured to be a peer of hers."
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The Good Turn (2022)
Sharna Jackson
"Fully-rounded characters that young readers will recognise and engage with. The dialogue is number 1 haircut grade sharp - it powers the story along and is full of witty, entertaining banter. Perfect for the middle-grade reader. A joy to read."

More recommendations 


Awards
YA Book Prize Best Young Adult nominee (2017) : Crongton Knights
YA Book Prize Best Young Adult nominee (2018) : Straight Outta Crongton


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