Many of the characters in Alex Wheatle’s novels are sufferahs – those born disadvantaged; outsiders who take on a hostile world and fight against repression and loneliness. His poignant memoir gives us insights into his own suffering: his early life in care, the bullying and abuse he endured, the brutality of the police. Yet Sufferah also documents his love of reggae, the joy of discovering his paternal family and his journey to become an award-winning writer. Reggae helped define Wheatle, offering him solace during the dark times and inspiring his creativity. As novelist-playwright Vanessa Walters suggests in her introduction: “These anthems provided context and companionship in his struggle.”
Wheatle was born in south London in 1963. His mother, Almira, briefly resident in the UK without her husband and children, had an affair with his Jamaican-born father, Alfred. After giving birth, Almira returned to her family in Jamaica, entrusting her baby son to Alfred. The pressure of caring for him was too much for the young carpenter and in the summer of 1966 Alex was sent to the Shirley Oaks children’s home in Croydon.
