Alex Wheatle’s book Sufferah promises to be a fascinating memoir of a turbulent life shaped by being an orphan in the care system, the Brixton Riots and Reggae music. In the face of a multitude of obstacles, Wheatle has emerged as a successful novelist with over a dozen books and an MBE for his contributions to literature
At Off the Shelf Festival of Words, I saw him in conversation with music producer Chris Morris, where they discussed the recently published novel before opening up the floor to questions. The hour flew by as I became increasingly engaged in Wheatle’s life story, illustrated by the occasional quote from the book and reggae songs. There was a definite feeling that it could have gone on longer as Morris struggled to fit in all of his questions, and it did run over by a couple of minutes.
The inspiration to write his story came from Steve McQueen’s BBC show Small Axe, where Wheatle’s life is the focus of one of the episodes. He said that after the airing of this episode, he received so many questions that he felt compelled to write the book. The novel begins when Wheatle enters a prison cell after being arrested in the Brixton riots against police brutality. It was a bleak moment against the depressing backdrop of a series of clashes against the police, whose presence in the London district of Brixton was overly aggressive. It all culminated in a protest where Brixton was set on fire, and burned for three days. Many were arrested in the aftermath.
However, this moment was a turning point as Wheatle met his future mentor: cellmate Simeon. This rasta encouraged Wheatle to read and nurtured his talent for writing, christening him a ‘sufferah.’ Where the care system had neglected Wheatle’s talents, and even subjected him to mental and physical abuse, he was now able to find an identity for himself.
As well as Simeon, Wheatle points to reggae music as his saviour, explaining how he spent all his money in Brixton record shops. Reggae is inherently linked to the suffering of people of colour as it is a protest genre originating from oppressed Jamaicans, who reclaimed their heritage after historical colonisation and slavery. However, like Wheatle himself, reggae is inexplicably joyful, with laid-back sounds contrasting sorrowful lyrics. It is a protest through joy by singing in the face of oppression and refusing to give in. Wheatle embodies this strength and found his community through the music.
It’s safe to say that, after listening to Wheatle speak, I immediately bought the book, much to the detriment of my meagre student budget. After briefly talking to Wheatle whilst he signed my book, I concluded that he was too humble in attributing his success entirely to Simeon and reggae. Clearly, he himself has a talent for writing and a personal grit that allowed him to find the light in his suffering. Overall, the talk was inspiring and I would recommend it to others. He has earned his reputation as the ‘Bard of Brixton.’
Rating: ★★★★★
Sufferah was published in 2023. Other Off the Shelf Festival events can be found here.