Lives Less Ordinary - Rewind: An author, his cellmate, and a new beginning

Download Rewind: An author, his cellmate, and a new beginning

How a book-loving prisoner showed a young Alex Wheatle the path to self-belief.

Alex had been born in London to Jamaican parents, but grew up in care in the notorious Shirley Oaks children’s home. As a teenager, he was convicted of assaulting a police officer during the Brixton Riots. He felt totally alone and without hope. But as the door slammed on Alex’s prison cell, he met a book-loving man called Simeon who opened his eyes to the importance of his own history – and encouraged him to use his past to write a new and hopeful future. This was originally broadcast in December 2023.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Hetal Bapodra and Anna Lacey

Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784

Published on Sunday, 30th March 2025.

Available Podcasts from Lives Less Ordinary

Subscribe to Lives Less Ordinary

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Lives Less Ordinary webpage.