The Girl with the Red Boots

Alex Wheatle is such a fine writer. This novel is beautifully written, beautifully paced. We’re drawn easily into his vivid world and we’re rooting for his hero all the way. * David Almond *Not many adult writers can write so beautifully and engagingly about the world of teens … A moving account of love, loss and resilience. * Yvonne Bailey-Smith, author of The Day I Fell Off My Island *The tense tale remains hopeful in the face of adversity, never shying away from uncomfortable truths but never giving in to self pity, either. * The Irish Times *This 13+ story demonstrates all the late Alex Wheatle’s gifts for pared-back, gripping, intensely readable prose, eloquently laced with Jamaican Patois. – Imogen Russell Williams * The Guardian *

Alex Wheatle (3 January 1963 - 16 March 2025) was an author of several acclaimed novels, many of them inspired by experiences from his childhood. He was born in Brixton to Jamaican parents, and spent most of his childhood in a Surrey children’s home. Following a short stint in prison following the Brixton uprising of 1981, he wrote poems and lyrics and became known as the Brixtonbard. Alex was shortlisted for numerous awards including the Carnegie Medal and the YA Book Prize. He won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and was awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2008.

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