ALEX WHEATLE

THE DIRTY SOUTH

With this latest novel the Brixton Bard brings the trilogy that starts chronologically with ISLAND SONGS followed by EAST OF ACRE LANE, right up to date. Dennis is a 23 year old Black British man sitting in jail. In the first person he tells us how he got there, beginning at the beginning. Dennis is from a good hardworking family, not poor, not rich. His parents value education and Dennis has a good brain. But with the need to impress his peers, get the right clothes, earn quick money he finds himself immersed deeper and deeper in South London's gang culture where young black men convert to Islam without the Muslim communities support just to give them sense of power and the ability to get rid of their rivals, kicking them to pieces in the name of Allah. When his best friend Noel dies at the hands of one of these 'Muslim' gangs, Dennis finds himself with some serious choices to make. A glimpse of real life on the streets in inner cities today, this fast paced, moving, insightful and frightening novel is Wheatle at his unforgettable best.

‘The plot moves quickly, and even though the story is clearly location specific, race seems light years from the agenda. Instead, the author seems keen to detail an urban blight that could affect anyone, from any city. The power of love is evident in every grimy chapter, whether at home or on the streets. Many of the novel's relationships are strong and true. Wheatle is a sharp-eyed observer of the modes of behaviour and language that make up his fictional world. As such, he can't help but fill every page with hard-boiled authenticity. Clever links with previous works mean that former characters are either referred to, or turn up in unexpected cameos, making The Dirty South a welcome treat for fans of his oeuvre.’ Courttia Newland Guardian

‘Wheatle is a man with a mission. He believes that truth has to be articulated. Good stuff.’ Sunday Express

‘Authentic, witty and gritty’ The Times

'Wheatle has written a compelling novel that does not disappoint. It highlights the temptations of thug life on offer for young black men growing up in Brixton, and disaffected youth culture, as well as engaging with issues of our times.' Aesthetica Magazine

'Dirty South has many points to make about the black urban youth experience in Britain, but it makes them without bitter recrimination. It’s told with wit, verve and style … I laughed far more than I cried. But I did cry too. Like Shane Meadows in the film world, Wheatle shows that every life has moments of beauty – even lives right at the bottom of the pile. There’s also a deep understanding of the social milieu at work, and although the book is written in a casual style, with patois and slang dialogue, themes of alienation, lack of opportunity, failing education, family cohesion and social history are crafted seamlessly in.' The Book Bag (Five star review)

Material: Book proof (214pp)
Sales: Serpent’s Tail UK (WEL).

 

ISLAND SONGS

'The novels, Island Songs and East of Acre Lane, are two must-reads - they grab your heart, not with pity but wonder that such beauty can come from such a life.' The Independent

‘Fabulously witty patois dialogue… evocative’ Independent on Sunday

‘A novel brought to life by a wealth of vivid detail and a superb cast of supporting characters. Alex Wheatle has a real talent for understated, convincing dialogue. Particularly striking are the evocations of the ruthless Maroon people, from whom the sisters are descended.’ Big Issue

‘Most intriguing is the complex love-hate relationship between the siblings. With credible characters and a gripping story-line, this is a fitting tribute to a beautiful island and its people.’ New Nation

‘In Island Songs, [Wheatle] proves that he is an enthralling storyteller of remarkable range.’ Jamaica Sunday Observer

'I dare you not to be mesmerised by the 'susu' talk of the church congregation, the daily annoyances of box drink vendors and the street language of Brixton. Wheatle's description of the simplicity of Jamaican life 'back in the days' floats you into the fields of callaloo and sweet potato with the sound of off-key church vocals in the back. It brings a new dimension to the struggles of the people of that period and shows just how much hope they had for the 'gold streets of Englan'. This novel will be nostalgia trip for anyone who grew up in similar circumstances and a breath of fresh Jamaican air for anyone else. So, sit back and pick up the time-travel book that delivers a real insight into 20th century Jamaica and her offspring.' The Voice

"She wondered what kind of world she had brought her daughters into - the tedious cycle of rural Jamaican life. No chance for them to set off upon adventures and see the outside world."

But sisters Jenny and Hortense Rodney, descendants of the fierce Maroon people, do get to see the world, and Island Songs is their story. Growing up in rural Claremont, working amid the hustle and bustle, lawn parties and 'houses of joy' in Trenchtown, the two sisters take a chance and move to England with their husbands, that far-off land of riches, where they settle down to motherhood amongst the jazz cafes and bleak streets of Brixton.

'Fire-nettle' Hortense and her husband Cilbert dream of finding prosperity through hard work in England, and eventually being able to return to Jamaica a wealthy family. Whilst Jenny, tied by the strong and complex bonds of sisterhood, follows Hortense in her travels and brings with her Jacob, her husband, who establishes the first black church in south London.

A beautiful evocation of twentieth-century Jamaica, its history and traditions, and equivocal status as an overlooked outpost of the dwindling British Empire, Island Songs is an epic of love, diaspora, and sorely tested family loyalties. Many stories are told, but many more secrets are never revealed.

Material: UK & French editions (331pp)
Sales: Allison & Busby UK & USA; Au Diable Vauvert France.

 

EAST OF ACRE LANE

‘Alex Wheatle's second novel is a rhythmic, fast talking tour of the tower blocks of South London… It is this blend of frantic action and thoughtful writing that ranks Alex Wheatle as one of the most exciting writers of the black urban experience.’ The Times

‘A welcome trip down memory lane by the Brixton bard. His prose is sharp as a barber’s cutthroat, the musical references make you jump and prance and the hard-edged dialogue brilliantly captures that London vibe. Thrilling, very funny, and most of all a page turner.’ Courttia Newland

Biscuit feels like his life is running out of control. He needs to sort himself out fast, but how? Biscuit and Coffin Head hustle on the front line for Nunchaks. He wants to give it up but he also needs to support his family – his mother, his sister Denise and his brother, Royston. He knows he should be looking for a job, Carlo tells him that every time they meet. Perhaps he should listen to Jah Nelson, who tells him that education is the key. But Biscuit has chosen a bad time to sort himself out: Brixton is angry – temperatures are high and ready to burst and, worst of all, Denise has caught the eye of Nunchaks. As the riots begin, Biscuit has to make a choice, whatever the consequences, that will change his life forever.

Material:UK & French editions
Sales: Fourth Estate UK; Au Diable Vauvert France.


BRIXTON ROCK
Winner of the London Arts Board’s New London Writer’s Award
‘Brixton Rock is a pacey document of teenage angst….which is why the pockets of humour…prove to be such a triumph. This is a debut which confirms its author…a pro in prose.’ The Times
‘The story trundles along energetically but the novel’s real strength lies in the dialogue. Wheatle gives us a fascinating snapshot of black English in the early eighties’ Daily Telegraph

Material: Finished copies (256pp)
Sales: Arcadia UK; WF Howes Audio. Film and theatrical options taken up by Prophet Pictures

THE SEVEN SISTERS

'A gripping, horrifying and moving adventure story.' Maggie Gee

Inspired by personal experience, a powerful, moving and beautifully structured novel dealing with the lives of children in care. Four friends decide to run away from the horror of their every day lives in a children's home in the English countryside. They head for the woods, their sense of freedom surprises them, and for the first time they feel the exhilaration of adolescence. Yet the forest slowly asserts its own power and what happens there will affect the four boys' lives forever. With his trademark humour, compelling narrative directness, and rhythmic prose, Alex Wheatle here shows himself to be an author of real calibre, exposing the social stigma associated with children's homes, and the psychological consequences of their impact on sensitive children. Never losing pace or failing to engage the reader at every moment, The Seven Sisters is an unflinchingly honest depiction of childhood.

Sales: Fourth Estate UK; Au Diable Vauvert France

'Wheatle's picture of childhood in a care home evokes the trauma and the tenderness between four friends, as well as brilliantly recreating a lost era. The Seven Sisters is subtle, moving, and written with real moral and artistic purpose.' Ben Richards

'This is a brave, brutal story, told with a shocking immediacy. Alex Wheatle has created a disturbing portrait of life in a children's home, in language which is plain, unsparing, and heart-rendingly poignant.' Daily Mail

'Alex Wheatle is already an award-winning author, but with the publication of his latest novel, The Seven Sisters, expect to see him soar into a totally different league as a writer.

With this groundbreaking work of fiction, Wheatle has produced what is truly the most moving book I have read this year. It's a heart-wrenching coming of age story. […]

Wheatle weaves complex and controversial issues such as mental health, child abuse and neglect, into an intense tale of enduring friendship. It's the illustration of how true friendships can survive and even thrive through the most disturbing of times that makes this book so very special.' The New Nation

'With a friendship of unspoken confidences remaining the focus, the four boys negotiate a mutual search for understanding and freedom. The narrative is strong and meaningful.' Vanessa Smith Holburn, Independent on Sunday

'It’s hard to imagine a gritty-realism novel about emotional, physical and sexual abuse in children’s homes also being a beautifully written poetic portrayal of loyalty, friendship, and boyhood adventure. Wheatle, however, manages to blend the two into one perfectly painted story. The author himself spent his childhood in care homes, and this gives The Seven Sisters an uncomfortable resonance. The underlying themes of friends replacing family, childhood shaping adulthood, and the very thin line that separates madness and sanity combine to produce a horrifying account of under-privilege.' The Big Issue

'This is a book to read and nourish… For it is a book which never gives up on its characters and,doing such, also never gives up on its readers.' Morning Star


Also by Alex Wheatle, written with Mark Parham - CHECKERS

Eddy Maynard needs to get an illegal shipment to its destination.A simple operation – he ‘could do it with his eyes closed’. But there is just one problem – he needs someone to fly a plane. Baron, a member of a black Southside gang, is the only one he can turn to. His white East London ‘firm’ needs to work closely with the crew from Brixton to be able to pull this one off. Things start to go pear-shaped when Eddy appears to turn up dead and what was supposed to be gang co-operation turns out to be the start of an East vs South gang war. Each trying to outsmart the other, for every move there is a deadly counter move. As the body count rises, both gangs realise that they have been double-crossed…

Published by The X Press UK.



ALEX WHEATLE (1963) was raised in South London. His parents were both Jamaican. After a stint as a carpenter, and work on building sites, he trained and worked as an engineer. He started writing by sending encouraging letters to friends who found themselves in prison in the early 1980s. A familiar figure on the Brixton poetry circuit, passionate about roots music, his first novel BRIXTON ROCK was published by BlackAmber Books (now Arcadia) in 1999 to great acclaim and excellent sales (audio rights sold to WF Howes, film option sold to Prophet Pictures, theatre rights sold to Kolton Lee). Alex won the Arts Board’s New London Writer’s Award for EAST OF ACRE LANE. He is currently working with Book Trust to introduce literature to the dispossessed. He organises and holds workshops in prisons and young adult institutions.

Author photograph by Walter White www.walterwhite.co.uk