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'Beloved' author Alex Wheatle MBE dies aged 62
Children’s writer and author of the award-winning Crongton series, Alex Wheatle MBE, has died of prostate cancer at the age of 62.
In a statement, his family said: "It is with great sadness we inform you that Alex Wheatle, our ‘Brixton Bard’, sadly passed away on Sunday 16th March 2025 after his fight with prostate cancer. Alex has 26 years of legacy for you all to continue and enjoy by reading his novels, watch again the self-titled episode Alex Wheatle from the Small Axe TV series and also watch the new upcoming Crongton TV series as he looks over us in spirit. Alex’s family would like to thank you all for your support over the years in his work and we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."
Wheatle was born in 1963 in London to Jamaican parents and spent much of his childhood in Shirley Oaks children’s home, a few miles east of Croydon. As a teenager, he was a founding member of the Crucial Rocker sound system. During a short stint in prison for his involvement in the 1981 Brixton uprising he discovered a love for literature. He wrote poems and lyrics and became known by the pen name ‘the Brixton Bard’.
Many of his early books are based on his life in Brixton as a teenager and his time in social services’ care. His early life was dramatised on screen in an episode of Steve McQueen’s BBC One anthology series Small Axe titled Alex Wheatle. Shortly before it aired, he told The Bookseller: "There are still people in children’s homes, kids who don’t know where they belong, they need inspiration. If they can see me and see I made it they might feel they can do the same. That means so much to me."
Wheatle was the author of several novels which were shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Carnegie Medal and the YA Book Prize. His debut novel Brixton Rock earned him the London Arts Board New Writers Award in 1999 and was later adapted for the stage. His 2016 book Crongton Knights won the 50th Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. In addition to his writing, he was known for his work promoting literacy and creativity among young people through frequent visits to schools, prisons and community centres. He was awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2008.
His agent Kerry-Ann Bentley of KAB Literary said: "Alex loved life and had a great zeal for it. Family, friendships and football were important to him, and he always found a way to fit those into his books. I’m devastated at the scope of this loss for his family and loved ones, all who knew and admired him. Working with a writer of Alex’s calibre, who had integrity and grace, has been the highlight of my career."
Wheatle was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2023. He used his platform to raise awareness of the disease, particularly among Black men who are more prone to it, and called on the government to introduce a prostate cancer screening programme for men. He told the Independent: "I want to help other people. I was alarmed to learn that Black men are twice as likely to get this form of cancer than white people."
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News of Wheatle’s death comes just days before a BBC adaptation of his Crongton books penned by writer and comedian Archie Maddocks hits screens. Later this year, Hachette Children’s Group will be publishing The Girl with the Red Boots, a story of family, friendship and football, and A Crongton Story: A Crongton Christmas Party, a light-hearted new seasonal story in the Crongton series.
Ruth Alltimes, MD of Hachette Children’s Group, commented: "Everyone at Hachette is very saddened by the news of Alex Wheatle’s death. Alex leaves behind a legacy of rich and powerful writing for young readers, and we are extremely proud at Hachette Children’s Group to publish Alex’s acclaimed and award-winning Crongton series. He will be remembered for his astonishing creative talent, enormous generosity to other writers and his ability to bring joy to any room. We will miss him very much and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time."
Fellow author and friend Nikesh Shukla said: "The Good Literary Agency is devastated to learn of the passing of our beloved friend, mentor and client Alex Wheatle. He paved the way for so many of us. He didn’t just change the face of British literature, he shook the foundations of society, going as far back as his days as a poet all the way through to his many years as a beloved children’s author. Alex was always generous with his time, his opinion, his warmth and his energy. He leaves behind an important body of work, one that will be read for generations. His writing was always sparkling with ideas and energy, unforgettable characters and, even through the realism, his humour and warmth always shone through."
He added: "I don’t think I would have had a career without Alex, nor do I think I would have carried on... He always made time for me, was always ready with wisdom, hard-fought advice and encouragement and always told me exactly what he thought. Which, because I had such respect for him, was sometimes hard to hear, especially when he had to tell me when I’d got things wrong. But I always listened and welcomed the honesty. Because he just knew, he knew what it took."
