Alex Wheatle
Encyclopedia
Alex Alphonso Wheatle MBE
(3 January 1963) is an award winning black British
novelist of Jamaican heritage, sentenced to a term of imprisonment after the Brixton riots
.
Wheatle spent much of his childhood in a Surrey children's home
. At 16 he was a founder member of the Crucial Rocker sound system; his DJ
name was Yardman Irie. He wrote lyrics about everyday Brixton life. By 1980 Wheatle was living in a social services hostel in Brixton
, South London
. He participated in the 1981 Brixton riots and aftermath. While serving his resulting sentence he read authors such as Chester Himes
, Richard Wright
, C. L. R. James
and John Steinbeck
.
He has since spoken about the Brixton riots, most prominently in the 2006 BBC
programme "Battle for Brixton". His early books are based on his life in Brixton as a teenager and his time in social services care.
Wheatle was awarded London Arts Board New Writers Award for East of Acre Lane.
In the Queen's Birthday Honours 2008, Wheatle was awarded the MBE
for services to literature.
He now visits various institutions facilitating creative writing classes and making speeches. He has also narrated an audio guide to the streets of Brixton.
He is a member of English PEN.
Wheatle's debut novel, Brixton Rock, was adapted for the stage and performed at the Young Vic in July 2010.
He wrote and performed UPRISING, a one man play based on his own life at TARA ARTS STUDIOS, Wandsworth, London.
Wheatle lives in London
.
His books have been translated into French and Italian.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(3 January 1963) is an award winning black British
Black British
Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and...
novelist of Jamaican heritage, sentenced to a term of imprisonment after the Brixton riots
Brixton Riots
Brixton riots may refer to:* 1981 Brixton riot – 11 April 1981* 1985 Brixton riot – 28 September 1985* 1995 Brixton riot – 13 December 1995* 2011 Brixton riot – 7 August 2011; see 2011 London riots...
.
Wheatle spent much of his childhood in a Surrey children's home
Children's Home
Children's Home is a historic building at 427 Robeson Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.The Home was built in 1894 and added to the National Historic Register in 1983....
. At 16 he was a founder member of the Crucial Rocker sound system; his DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
name was Yardman Irie. He wrote lyrics about everyday Brixton life. By 1980 Wheatle was living in a social services hostel in Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. He participated in the 1981 Brixton riots and aftermath. While serving his resulting sentence he read authors such as Chester Himes
Chester Himes
Chester Bomar Himes was an American writer. His works include If He Hollers Let Him Go and a series of Harlem Detective novels...
, Richard Wright
Richard Wright (author)
Richard Nathaniel Wright was an African-American author of sometimes controversial novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction. Much of his literature concerns racial themes, especially those involving the plight of African-Americans during the late 19th to mid 20th centuries...
, C. L. R. James
C. L. R. James
Cyril Lionel Robert James , who sometimes wrote under the pen-name J.R. Johnson, was an Afro-Trinidadian historian, journalist, socialist theorist and essayist. His works are influential in various theoretical, social, and historiographical contexts...
and John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
.
He has since spoken about the Brixton riots, most prominently in the 2006 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
programme "Battle for Brixton". His early books are based on his life in Brixton as a teenager and his time in social services care.
Wheatle was awarded London Arts Board New Writers Award for East of Acre Lane.
In the Queen's Birthday Honours 2008, Wheatle was awarded the MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
for services to literature.
He now visits various institutions facilitating creative writing classes and making speeches. He has also narrated an audio guide to the streets of Brixton.
He is a member of English PEN.
Wheatle's debut novel, Brixton Rock, was adapted for the stage and performed at the Young Vic in July 2010.
He wrote and performed UPRISING, a one man play based on his own life at TARA ARTS STUDIOS, Wandsworth, London.
Wheatle lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Published works
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)
- Brenton Brown (2011)
His books have been translated into French and Italian.