Angie thomas is part of a new crop of africanamerican authors bringing fresh new storytelling to bookshelves near you. Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie, the hate u give by angie thomas, their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurst. Children book authors and avid readers contributed their favorite childrens books to a list of the, top 150 recommended africanamerican childrens books. What are you reading in honor of black history month. Buy products related to black authors books and see what customers say about black authors books on free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Through gorgeous illustrations, jabari asim and lynn gaines bring to life both famous and lesserknown figures, artists, and movements in black historyfrom the first rhode island regiment to stevie wonder. Robert washington iii was the cocreator of static and cowrote the initial arc with dwayne mcduffie before writing the book by himself for the next fifteen issues or so. Her most famous work i know why the caged bird sings was published in 1969 and became the first in seven autobiographies of angelous life. This is a list of africanamerican authors and writers, all of whom are considered part of africanamerican literature, and who already have wikipedia articles. The poignant words of tanehisi coates, who won the national book award, are all too vital given todays racial climate, while producer. Books by black authors that should be on everyones.
Which is exactly why weve compiled a list of the best books of 2017 by black authors. Nonetheless, it is only now that urban fiction authors have begun to attract interest from major publishers. One of the most prolific writers of our time, black or otherwise, maya angelous storied career spanned several decades and included the publication of. Maya angelou and 9 other bestselling black authors.
Here are 50 commendable books by black authors published in the past five years. The phenomenal acclaim this bestselling book has achieved from readers black and white, young and old, attests to her success. African american literature book club celebrating our literary legacy since 1997 black literature is for everyone african american literature book. Du bois and paul lawrence dunbar, her love of language developed at a young age. The interrelations between the characters are vividly written. Black folks are often criticized for rarely reading or not reading at all. The death of jayson porter by jaime adoff in the florida projects, sixteenyearold jayson struggles with the harsh realities of his life which include an abusive mother, a drugaddicted father, and not fitting in at his predominately white school, and bring him to. One is the nationality of many black urban fiction authors african american. His novels are strikingly characterfocused, often featuring ensemble casts of figures, such as his book broken glass, which focuses on a former congolese teacher and his interactions with the locals in the bar he frequents, or his novel black bazar, which details the experiences of various african immigrants in an afrocuban bar in paris. Black history month may be over, but that doesnt mean you cant celebrate black writers every day. Hughley is a famed american standup comedian, actor, political commentator, and radio host.
Well read black girl is a collection of essays from todays most prolific writers, detailing how they fell in love with the written word. There are countless books out there that i have read and hold near and dear to my heart. The book is written with an interweaving of the racial disparities of the period, yet it is not the main focus. Lets talk about books because, as usual, the past year has been an amazing one for books by black writers. A famous nonfiction writer, jabari asim serves as editorinchief of the crisis magazine, a journal of politics, ideas and culture published by the naacp. Alice walker is a pulitzer prizewinning, african american novelist and poet most famous for authoring the color purple. The list this article is more than 16 years old from don quixote to american pastoral, take a look at the 100 greatest novels of all time. Many african american books tackle the difficult topic of slavery, but few do it with the magic and.
Top 12 must read books by black authors for 2019 black. Famous black authors from capturing rather hard to describe torments and hardships to racial abuse and violence, the famous black authors have fearlessly raised the bar to become the voice for the voiceless. This book without question is a great read and those who are truly interested in hearing assatas personal accounts first hand will find this. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon kindle store best sellers. Delany, major jackson and others tell us about some of their favorite works of literature. The longawaited first novel by the author of an elegy for easterly, this book is a marvel. See our mustread list, featuring black authors such as. Check out our list of favorite books about crime, sex, and hood affairs. In 1953, invisible man was awarded the national book award, making ellison the first africanamerican author to receive the prestigious honor for fiction. Its the perfect book for booklovers and book nerds alike. The only problem is narrowing a list to under 30 books standouts when all the books. Influenced by black authors like langston hughes, w.
Compiling a list of my favorite books by black authors was no easy task, but here are the books and authors that i think everyone should know about. Best black urban fiction authors black urban fiction. It apparently speaks volumes about the target audience of the books set in this genre. The following books by black authors in alphabetic order by title were published in 2018 and fall under a wide range of genres. A list of the 10 hottest hood classic books bossip. Her most famous work i know why the caged bird sings was published in. Petersburg timesin the exciting, yet frightening days of.
Writer of the famous fourpart series, uncle toms children 1938, wright is remembered for fearlessly writing about the black mans struggle against and suffering in a heavily racist society. While the magical element is new in wards fiction, her allusiveness, anchored in her interest in the politics of race, has been pointing in this direction all along. In these fifteen superb stories, this essential author of african american fiction gives us compelling portraits of a wide range of unforgettable characters, from sassy children to cunning old men, in scenes shifting between uptown new york and rural north. The hairdresser of harare, was a black comedy of political manners. These books are mustreads to add to your 2019 list of books to. Taye diggs, famous father and author, has helped by offering positive messages of selfesteem for. Author shomari wills details those and other similar improbable success stories in black fortunes. Tell us your favorite books written by black authors in the comments below. The top 100 bestselling black authors authors of african descent on 1 to 24 african american literature book club celebrating our literary legacy since 1997 black literature is for everyone african american literature book club. While it is true that we, as a people, could probably stand to do more reading, there are several books that have been read in. The book was famous then, but if you havent heard of it. From fiction to nonfiction, there were some undoubtedly moving books by black authors that deserves a spot on everyones bookshelf or kindle.
Destiny ajaye is one of the best new black characters introduced in the past decade. From wise artists like maya angelou to new voices like marlon james and kiley reid, and leaders like the obamas, weve gathered some of the best books by black authors to add to your reading list. Top 150 recommended africanamerican childrens books. The list also includes nonamerican authors resident in the usa and american writers of african descent. The top 10 contemporary african writers you should know. Acclaimed american poet, author and activist maya angelou was born in st. Are there any books not included on this list you think we should read.
Check out these terrific titles for teens written by africanamerican authors. Black is the body is an extraordinary, exquisitely written memoir. Her 2017 debut young adult novel, the hate u give, was inspired by the protests of the black lives matter movement. The author spent thirty years researching the novel so that the world might know the intelligent, strong, and brave black woman called vyry. From literary icons to fresh, buzzworthy talent, here are 25 great books by african american authors you should add to your reading list today. From a mystery novel set in nigeria to a scifi graphic novel following the life of a warrior princess, this list of books by black authors has. This has so much good info about famous black female leaders, and is paired with great. A fancy new edition of pride and prejudice is in bookstores now. Goldens style is modern, refreshing and accurately captures a slice of africanamerican life.
Read some of the best fiction and nonfiction by contemporary black authors, including books in every genre from literary fiction to personal memoirs. Lullaby for a black mother by langston hughes, illustrated by sean qualls taken from the poem by langston hughes and beautifully illustrated by qualls, this book is all about the love between an african american mother and her baby. Go tell it on the mountain by james baldwin, nobody knows my name by james baldwin, if beale street could talk by. Book 1999 y fiction curtis, christopher 1 on shelf at. Our 11 favorite books written by black women authors in.
Questia compiled this list based on the mostread africanamerican authors in their library a list of most influential africanamerican authors might also include fellow omahan, malcolm x, the. Thanks to the work of african american authors, the world can better understand both the struggles and triumphs of black people in america. From roxane gay to michelle obama to tanehisi coates, these writers are. What follows is a list of prominent black authors who have left a mark on the. Two of his most controversial books were, native son 1940 and black boy 1945. Literature in particular has been a space for black authors to tell their stories authentically, and bookworms seeking good reads can choose from. Book awards book club selections books by author books by series coming soon kids books new releases teens. See more ideas about books, childrens books and african american books. Famous black authors known throughout history for their fearlessness. The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of trevor noahs comingofage. Religion and all its complexities on the black church hit.