Alex Wheatle

This week we're talking to author Alex Wheatle, an acclaimed writer who fearlessly tackles subjects of social injustice in his work. Having grown up in the UK care system in the 1960s, Alex was also first-hand witness to the violence of the Brixton Riots in 1981, both of which have influenced his work. His debut novel Brixton Rock won praise from critics, while life on his fictionalised South Crongton estate has featured in a number of his books, including Crongton Knights, which was the Winner of the Guardian’s Children’s Fiction Prize. In 2008, Alex was awarded an MBE for his services to literature. His latest novel, Cane Warriors, has been endorsed by Amnesty International. Based on true events, it transports readers to 1760s Jamaica meeting Moa and his friend Keverton in their fight for freedom from slavery, not just for themselves but countless others.