"WELCOME TO CRONGTON - where your loyalties and wits will be tested ...
Things have been quiet in South Crongton. It's been an age since anyone last spotted Manjaro, South Crong's most notorious warlord. But there have been murmurs that something is coming.
Jonah is the fastest sprinter in South Crong, and has his sights set on an Olympic Medal one day. But with his dad now jobless, and his parents constant fighting because they can't make ends meet, Jonah has more on his mind than the North/South Crong gang war games.
So when he gets kidnapped and taken to Manjaro's secret hideout, it's the last thing Jonah needs. But Manjaro's latest game comes with a map and the promise of a big bag of cash at the end. Jonah's family, and his parents' marriage, could be saved with all that cash! It's time for Jonah to rally the Crongton Knights again and follow the clues.
But will the map lead them to treasure, or something much more deadly?"
"Welton Blake has done it! He's asked out Carmella McKenzie - the best-looking girl in school - and she's only gone and said yes!
But just as he thinks his luck is starting to change, Welton's phone breaks, kick-starting a series of unfortunate and humiliating events. With bullies to avoid, girls ready to knock him out and all the drama with his mum and dad, life for Welton is about to go very, very wrong ...
Hilarity follows disaster in this sharp-witted tale of the trials of teen life from award-winning author Alex Wheatle.
'Wheatle's characteristic lively language, impassioned Star Wars references and colourful invented insults make for a brief but riotously relatable slapstick romp' — Guardian
Laugh out loud funny with perfect comic timing' – BookTrust
'A hilarious, charming story … Peppered with Star Wars references and laugh out loud, cringeworthy moments that every awkward teen will relate to” -- Scottish Book Trust
“As thought provoking as it is hilarious” -- Books for Keeps"
"Kemosha and her brother have lived their whole lives in slavery. Sold away to work in lawless Port Royal, Kemosha takes her chance to escape brutal treatment. With fortune on her side, Kemosha befriends Ravenhide, a man with a mysterious past who teaches her the art of swordfighting, and introduces her to the beautiful runaway Isabella.
Yet Kemosha's greatest test yet is upon the deck of the Satisfaction: the notorious Captain Morgan’s ship. His next adventure on the high seas could be the making of Kemosha – and her one chance to earn enough pieces of eight to buy the freedom of her brother...
“A thrilling high seas adventure… Kemosha’s indomitable spirit, determination and wit make for an unforgettable heroine.” – The Observer
“[A] stunning historical adventure… Wheatle has a big heart, an easy style and natural empathy and doesn’t compromise on the grim details as he introduces us to a little taught period of history through a girl with many of the same dreams as today’s teenagers.” – The Times, Children’s Book of the Week
“A vivid and powerful story… Another tour de force by Alex Wheatle a truly gifted storyteller” - David Olusoga
A thrilling, incredible story with a wonderful young Black woman at its heart, told by one of the most accomplished writers in the world today. Wheatle creates a heroine who is impossible not to love and who will stay in the reader’s mind and heart long after finishing the book -- Sunny Singh
Alex paints a vivid character in Kemosha, a stubborn and strong willed slave who refuses to accept defeat at every corner. It is a story about courage, determination, and never giving up. -- Kereen Getten"
"She wondered what kind of world she had brought her two 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 outside 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 among the jazz cafés and bleak streets of Brixton.
A haunting, beautifully written evocation of twentieth-century Jamaica, its history and traditions, Island Songs is an epic of love, laughter and sorely tested family loyalties. Many stories are told, but many more secrets are never revealed.
“Alex Wheatle writes from a place of honesty and passion with the full knowledge and understanding that change can only happen through words and actions.” STEVE MCQUEEN
‘Grabs your heart, not with pity but wonder that such beauty can come from such a life.' THE INDEPENDENT."
"Life's a constant hustle for Mo. Her mum's boyfriend Lloyd is just another man who likes to beat down women; the South Crong streets are fraught with hazards and nasty G's; and when it comes to matters of the heart . . . she's still hung up on Sam.
No wonder she's vexed so much of the time.
Thank god her sistrens, Elaine and Naomi, are on her side: if one of them falls then they all fall.
But when badness goes down and a life is left hanging in the balance, Mo has to face her hot urge for revenge . . . and she might end up losing more than she wins."
"WINNER OF THE GUARDIAN CHOLDREN'S FICTION PRIZE
Living on the South Crongton council estate has its worries - and life for McKay has been even tougher since his mum died.
His dad has been working all hours to keep the bailiffs from their door.
His brother is always out riding the streets at night, tempting trouble.
And now, having strayed off his turf on a 'heroic' (if misguided) mission to help out a girl, McKay finds himself facing a friend's crazy ex-boyfriend, some power-tripping hood-rats and a notoriously violent gangster with a vendetta which hits too close to home.
Poor McKay. He never asked for trouble . . . But during one madcap night of adventure and danger, he will find out who his true friends are and what it means to stick with your family.
Crongton Knights is a very funny, very moving story that shows that although life is testing, the lessons learned the hard way are the ones you'll never forget.
“Hopeful, warm and, above all, funny.” GUARDIAN
“A joyous shout of youthful exuberance ... Wheatle's Twain-like command of patois never falters ... Enriching and life-affirming ... A total gem for any age.” INDEPENDENT
“A fast-paced, funny ride.” METRO"
"What's worse than hiding a secret? Liccle Bit's about to find out...
Venetia King is the hottest girl at school. Too bad Lemar is the second shortest guy in his year. Everyone calls him Liccle Bit, and his two best friends, McKay and Jonah, never tire of telling him he has no chance with girls. Things aren't much better at home. His mum is permanently hassled, his sister a frustrated single mum and his dad moved out years ago. Liccle Bit wishes he could do something - anything! - to make life better. A new phone would be a start...
When Venetia starts paying Liccle Bit attention, he secretly hopes he's on a fast track to a first date. Unfortunately, as a new gang war breaks out, he finds himself on a fast track to something much more sinister. South Crongton's notorious gang leader has taken an interest in Liccle Bit. Before he knows what's happening, he finds himself running errands. But when he hears about a killing on the estate, Liccle Bit is forced to question his choices. How can he possibly put things right?
'Funny, profane, well-observed accounts of life on an urban estate.' SUNDAY TIMES"
"East of Acre Lane is the fast-paced and razor sharp story of a young man trying to do the right thing and establishes Alex Wheatle as the exciting new voice of the urban experience.
When East of Acre Lane was first published in 2001, Alex Wheatle instantly became one of the key commentators on contemporary black culture and was featured in BBC news, radio, numerous papers and Channel 4. The BBC have already optioned ‘East of Acre Lane’ to be made into a film.
Set in 1981, the year of the Brixton riots, the novel is a gripping thriller in a society on the edge of explosion. Wheatle focusses on Biscuit and his posse as a way to introduce the whole community. Biscuit lives with his mother, brother and sister. He helps out by hustling on the frontline for the south London badman, Nunchaks. He doesn’t want to be doing this for the rest of his life but it’s difficult to get out of the trap.
As the patience of the community breaks and the riots begin to erupt, Biscuit has to make a choice that could change his life forever.
‘Alex Wheatle writes from a place of honesty and passion.’ STEVE MCQUEEN
‘Alex Wheatle's second novel is a rhythmic, fast-talking tour of the tower blocks of South London. The strength of the novel lies in the characters who form Biscuit's posse … writing in a street slang that reads like an urgent urban poetry, Wheatle catches the dialogue of the friends and contrasts it with passages of distilled description. He observes meticulously the subcultures within the black community… It is this blend of frantic action and thoughtful writing that ranks Alex Wheatle alongside Courttia Newland as one of the most exciting writers of the black urban experience.' The Times
‘Dubbed the Brixton Bard by his contemporaries, Alex Wheatle was always ambitious… He is first and foremost a story teller.’ The Voice
‘This is a vibrant book pulsing with the reggae beats of the era. The dialogue… has rhythm and inventiveness. And the violent climax is a cathartic one, the logical and positive first stage of a revolution.’ ***** Independent on Sunday
‘Wheatle's novel is a bright, adventurous tale, jammed to the rafters with a parade of fine hustlers, headcases and herbsmen.’ The Latest
‘In East of Acre Lane Alex Wheatle has managed far more than simply pulling off a fast, punchy morlaity tale centring on a young man's dilemma about going straight or opting for a life of crime… Action packed, funny and filled with cocky banter between its teenage male characters, references to reggae music and street stye… Wheatle has written a hardhitting novel which is an incendiary reminder of one of the most explosive events in London's post war history.’ Big Issue"
"New from the winner of the Guardian Children's Book Award: Home Girl is the story of Naomi, a teenage girl growing up fast in the care system. It is a wholly modern story which sheds a much needed light on what can be an unsettling life - and the consequences that can follow when children are treated like pawns on a family chessboard.
Home Girl is fast-paced and funny, tender, tragic and full of courage - just like Naomi. It is award-winning author Alex Wheatle's most moving and personal novel to date.
Alex Wheatle is the real deal; he writes with heart and authenticity, books that make you laugh and worry and cry and hold your breath. It's a pity there's only one of him (Kit de Waal)
Wheatle's empathy, authentic characters and rich dialogue illuminate (Observer)
I love Alex and all he stands for in the world of literature (Kerry Hudson)
Studded with Wheatle's characteristic slang, Naomi's story is both heartbreaking and hilarious, offering no easy happy endings, but a flickering sense of hope. (the Guardian)
Alex Wheatle is the real deal; he writes with heart and authenticity, books that make you laugh and worry and cry and hold your breath. It's a pity there's only one of him. (Kit de Waal, author of My Name is Leon)
I love Alex and all he stands for in the world of literature. (Kerry Hudson, author of Lowborn)
Straight Outta Crongton has 'classic' singing from every page ... A joyous shout of youthful exuberance ... Wheatle's Twain-like command of patois never falters ... Enriching and life-affirming ... A total gem (Independent)
Elegant, authentic and humane. Straight Outta Crongton hums with the beat of real life and the language sings from the page. This is mature, powerful writing by an author with great talent and great heart. (David Almond)
Brilliant, tough, heartbreaking read (Tanya Landman)"
"Brenton Brown is 16 years old. A mixed race youth, Brenton has lived in a children's home all his life. Being reunited with his mother is the best thing that has happened to Brenton. But a strange series of events soon push him to the edge..."
"The long-awaited follow up to Brixton Rock
Juliet is consumed with guilt knowing that her half-brother, Brenton, grew up in children's homes while she received all her mother's love. She marries Clayton, a successful banker, to please her mother. But secretly Clayton has always suspected that there is something between Juliet and her half-brother. Meanwhile, Juliet and Brenton try to stay away from what they know is a forbidden love..."
