British novelist Alex Wheatle, 62, has died. The author’s family shared news of his passing in a statement.
“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,” Wheatle’s family shared.
Kerb Stain Boys, East of Acre Lane, and Home Girl are three of several books Alex Wheatle published during his lifetime. The Crongton series, which includes Kerb Stain Boys, is one of his more well-known works as it was slated for a BBC adaptation two years ago. The show was shelved for a time due to allegations against Noel Clarke, whose production company, Unstoppable Film & Television, was responsible for bringing the Crongton series to the small screen.
New Pictures ultimately stepped in to revive the Crongton series in December 2023. The show launches this year on BBC iPlayer.
During his life, Alex Wheatle embraced his identity as an African man and did not shy away from difficult conversations. It was during an interview in 2020 that the British novelist delved into his evolving beliefs about Tarzan and the story’s relation to the continent of Africa.
“I grew up with Tarzan on TV; Tarzan beating up all the Black guys he came across and being able to talk to the animals while the Black people couldn’t,” Wheatle shared. “And I hate to admit it, but when I was 10 or 11, I actually cheered for Tarzan when he was fighting with a so-called ‘savage’. It was only later that I thought: ‘I think I’ve got that wrong.’”
Accepting his mistakes was a common attribute of Wheatle during his career. I have my flaws,” he said during an interview. “I have my nightmarish moments where sometimes my past comes back and hits me when I’m not expecting it.”
“But that’s OK. It doesn’t make me weak. It makes me more empathetic with people who go through those experiences. And it helps my writing when I’m creating characters who experience stress and trauma.”