Alex Wheatle was born in Brixton in 1963. He founded the Crucial Rocker sound system, performing his own songs using the name, Yardman Irie. He spent a short time in prison where he began to write poems and lyrics. After he got out, he became known as the Brixton Bard. He is the author of Brixton Rock, East of Acre Lane, The Seven Sisters, Checkers (written with Mark Parham), Island Songs, The Dirty South, Breton Brown, and Liccle Bit. His 2016 book, Crongton Knights won the 2016 Guardian children's fiction prize for his YA novel.
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