Life on the Crongton estate can be rough for Briggy. Dad's lost his job, Mum's working so hard to make ends meet, and big brother Kingsley just wants out. With all of the shouting and arguing it's difficult not to get lost in the mix.
So when his best mate Terror and coolest chick in the year Caldonia, cook up a plan to make a quick buck, Briggy hopes this time it might be his chance to shine.
Robbing the Post Office ... what could go wrong? A brilliantly real and funny novella of life on one of London's toughest (fictional) estates.
'A welcome return to one of London's toughest estates in a wise, witty urban novella' The Bookseller
'A novella as appallingly riveting as a car crash in slow motion ... Wheatle's characteristic invented slang is the perfect medium for this hilarious yet hard-hitting story' Guardian
'Wheatle revisits his popular Crongton estate universe with Kerb-Stain Boys ... a gripping and quick read for both reluctant and sophisticated readers' The Irish Times
'This book is a blast of fresh air and will appeal to all types of teenagers, from the booky to absolute reluctants ... as always with Alex Wheatle's writing, there's a core morality and exploring the real feelings of teenagers honestly' BookTrust
'This wickedly sharp teen-noir novella ticks all the right boxes for an inspiring read for teens who feel trampled in the wake of this unforgiving world ... a compelling, voice-driven narrative packed with action and humour from start to finish' Common Space
Author
About Alex Wheatle
Born in 1963 to Jamaican parents living in Brixton, ALEX WHEATLE spent most of his childhood in a Surrey children's home. He returned to Brixton in 1977 where he founded the Crucial Rocker sound system and performed his own songs and lyrics under the name of Yardman Irie. He spent a short stint in prison following the Brixton uprising of 1981. Following his release from prison he continued to write poems and lyrics and became known as the Brixton Bard. Alex's first novel, BRIXTON ROCK, was published to critical acclaim in 1999. Five more novels, EAST OF ACRE LANE, THE SEVEN SISTERS, ISLAND SONGS, CHECKERS and THE DIRTY SOUTH followed, all highly praised. His books are on school reading lists, Alex takes part in Black History Month every year, works with Streatham Youth Community Trust, helping to run a homework club. He is representing English PEN, and tours the country with his one-man show, UPRISING. He teaches in various places including Lambeth College, holds workshops in prisons and is frequently invited to schools to speak to students, inspiring in them with his own story a passion for literature. Alex also appears regularly on BBC1's The One Show and on radio. In the autumn of 2010 he wrote and performed his own one-man autobiographical show for Tara Arts, UPRISING, and took the performance on tour in October 2012. He was at Harrogate Crime Writing Festival in July 2011. He was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to literature in 2008. A favourite of reading groups and libraries, he is UK's most read Black British author. He is working on a non-fiction book about Black Britain and on more Young Adult novels. He lives with his family in South London.
