Abandoned as a baby to the British care system, Alex Wheatle grows up with no knowledge of his Jamaican parentage or family history. Later, he is drawn to reggae. This becomes his lifeline through disrupted teenage years and the challenges of living as a young Black man in 1980s Britain.
Alex’s youth was portrayed in Oscar Award-winning director Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series in 2020.
In Sufferah, he tells his own story urgently, vividly and unsentimentally. His award-winning fiction – and this memoir – are a call to never give up hope.
Sufferah reminds us that words can be our sustenance, and music our heartbeat.
Free but we strongly advise booking a ticket in advance.