Alex Wheatle
British writer · United Kingdom · On the map · Writers · Lived 1963 to 2025 · aged 62
Alex Alphonso Wheatle MBE was a British novelist, who had been brought up in a children's care home from the age of two, his education subsequently suffering from numerous suspensions and expulsions from school.
Alex Wheatle is read about 32 times a day, in 6 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 21 June 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
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About this person
His connection with the written word was bolstered during a prison sentence he was serving after the 1981 Brixton riot in London, when his older Rastafarian cellmate introduced him to the writings of many impactful writers, as well as engaging him in discussions about African history.
Where to find them
The same award as Alex
Kevin Crossley-HollandBoth received Guardian Children's Fiction PrizeSusan PriceBoth received Guardian Children's Fiction PrizeRobert WestallBoth received Guardian Children's Fiction PrizeJenny ValentineBoth received Guardian Children's Fiction Prize