Alex Wheatle in conversation with Clive Myrie

Award-winning author, playwright and screenwriter Alex Wheatle’s work often explores themes of identity, race and social injustice, drawing on his own experiences as a black British man. Alex was born in Brixton, South London, in 1963. His parents were Jamaican immigrants and he grew up in a children’s home after being placed there by social services at the age of six. In 1981, Alex went to prison for his involvement in the Brixton riots: this transformational period in his life was adapted for screen in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe production. With BBC broadcaster Clive Myrie, Alex discusses his life experiences and how they have shaped his writing, including the final book in his bestselling Crongton series – In The Ends.