East of Acre Lane

East of Acre Lane is the fast-paced and razor sharp story of a young man trying to do the right thing.

Set in 1981, the year of the Brixton riots, the novel is a gripping thriller in a society on the edge of explosion. Biscuit lives with his mother, brother and sister. He helps out by hustling on the frontline for the south London badman, Nunchaks. He doesn’t want to be doing this for the rest of his life but it’s difficult to get out of the trap.

As the patience of the community breaks and the riots begin to erupt, Biscuit has to make a choice that could change his life forever.

Published to coincide with the premiere of Steve McQueen’s highly anticipated Small Axe collection of films (BBC One and BBC Iplayer). The fourth film, Alex Wheatle, follows the authors own true story, from finding a sense of community for the first time in Brixton, to his experiences in prison during the Brixton Uprising of 1981, as well as his confrontation of the past and path to healing.