‘He was one of the nicest souls’: Brixton author Alex Wheatle dies aged 62

Prize-winning author and Brixton talent Alex Wheatle has died aged 62.

Mr Wheatle passed away on Sunday, following his fight with prostate cancer, his family announced in a statement on the writer’s Instagram page.

They said: “It is with great sadness to inform you that Alex Wheatle, our ‘Brixton Bard’, sadly passed away on Sunday, March 16, 2025 after his fight with prostate cancer.

“Alex has 26 years of legacy for you all to continue and enjoy … as he looks over us in spirit.”

Mr Wheatle was born in Brixton on January 3, 1963, and spent much of his childhood in Shirley Oaks children’s home in Croydon.

His first novel Brixton Rock, published in 1999, centres on the life of a 16-year-old living in care, who is haunted by the absence of his mother.

Childhood friend Michael Groce, a Brixton poet and community campaigner, recalled Mr Wheatle’s early inspiration for writing.

The 62-year-old said: “We were in care together. I’ve known him since we were little boys.

“Me and Alex used to meet up in Imperial Gardens in Camberwell New Road. One time Alex had something written on a piece of paper and wanted it typed up.

“In Brixton, it was rare when someone wanted to be a writer. So, when he told me, I told him to go for it.

“Then he came out with his first book. It’s been amazing to see his career develop.”

As a young artist on Brixton’s early poetry scene, Mr Groce hosted events including Souls of Black Folk.

He said: “Alex would always come down and work up the energy to go for it himself.

“He went from being this really shy guy to being the one who wrote a book about Brixton – it was ironic. But he also showed that the concept of being black isn’t always what people think it is.

“It wasn’t all reggae and weed. I’ve always known Alex to be gentle, kind and interesting.”

In 1981, Brixton’s black community rose up against police discrimination and mass unemployment in a watershed moment known as the Brixton uprising.

Mr Wheatle was arrested during the unrest, which took place across two days, and spent four months in prison where he spent his time reading the likes of CLR James, Charles Dickens, James Baldwin, Richard Wright and John Steinbeck.

Four years later, in 1985, Mr Groce’s mother Dorothy “Cherry” Groce, was mistakenly shot by police officers in an incident which left her paralysed, sparking the Brixton Riots.

Mr Groce said: “Alex was very vocal when it came to my mum’s shooting. 

“We had similar lives and we both understood each other. We supported each other.

“He was one of the nicest souls, and a good spirit.”

Throughout his career, Mr Wheatle wrote novels including East of Acre Lane, Island Songs and The Dirty South.

Liccle Bit, which was longlisted for the Carnegie medal in 2016, Crongton Knights, Straight Outta Crongton and In the Ends formed his award winning Crongton series.

In 2020, director Steve McQueen translated the story of Mr Wheatle’s early life and imprisonment onto the screen for the fourth film in his BBC anthology series, Small Axe. 

Mr Wheatle was awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2008.

As well as writing, he worked hard to support educational initiatives targeted at young people, and fearlessly condemned injustices like the Windrush scandal.

Mr Groce said: “We worked together on a project in Coldharbour Lane just a few years ago.

“There are things we still wanted to do. He’s always one of the first people I go to with my ideas but now he’s gone. 

“He’s part of a generation of great artists we have lost in recent years – all names that are now part of our history.”

News of Mr Wheatle’s death comes just days before a BBC adaptation of his Crongton book series begins.

Pictured top: Brixton author Alex Wheatle has died aged 62 (Picture: Steven May / Alamy Stock Photo)