For Black History Month: Celebrating Our Favorite Black Authors

Ari Meermans

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“I believe that the best learning process of any kind of craft is just to look at the work of others.”

“My horizon on humanity is enlarged by reading the writers of poems, seeing a painting, listening to some music, some opera, which has nothing at all to do with a volatile human condition or struggle or whatever. It enriches me as a human being.”
~ Wole Soyinka (Nigerian writer, poet and playwright)

From Octavia Butler to N.K. Jemisin to Toni Morrison to Tomi Adeyemi (and so many others) the SFF works of black authors have led us into explorations of new worlds, new thoughts, and new ideas. Their works have made us laugh, made us think, and made us cry.

Novels and collections of essays on contemporary life by such authors as Zadie Smith and Zora Neale Hurston have enriched us in countless ways.

And the poetry of Langston Hughes (born on February 1, 1902) and Tracy K. Smith (American poet laureate) speaks to something deep inside all of us.

Some of my favorites are:

Octavia Butler's Kindred.
Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone.
Tayari Jones' An American Marriage.
Esi Edugyan's Washington Black.
Tracy K. Smith's Wade in the Water.

I woke up this morning thinking about Langston Hughes' Let America Be America Again. I believe it's the perfect poem to kick-off Black History Month 2019.


What are your favorite works by black authors?
 
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Maryn

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I love me some Walter Mosley, author of the Easy Rawlins books set in 1950s Los Angeles. He's among the authors whose books I'll pick up at thrift stores and leave in public places, especially where I expect young black people might find it. On the inside front cover I write a note hoping they enjoy it and to either pass it on or share another book that way. My city has a real high poverty rate and a low high school graduation rate, so anything I can do to encourage reading seems like a good idea.
 

Kjbartolotta

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How Long Till Black Future Month by Jemisin was probably my favorite book of 2018. Was impressed with Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James and can't wait for his fantasy title (wish people would stop saying 'African GoT' tho).
 

Kat M

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One of my all-time favorite books is James Baldwin's Another Country. I know this a stupid thing to say, but I love it because of its depth. It's about race relations and relationships and grief and every time I read it I find something else.

When I was a young teenager I borrowed an anthology curated by Jacqueline Woodson, A Way Out of No Way. I reread it countless times before I had to give it back. I should really reread it.
 

Animad345

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One of my all-time favorite books is James Baldwin's Another Country. I know this a stupid thing to say, but I love it because of its depth. It's about race relations and relationships and grief and every time I read it I find something else.

When I was a young teenager I borrowed an anthology curated by Jacqueline Woodson, A Way Out of No Way. I reread it countless times before I had to give it back. I should really reread it.

Another one for James Baldwin: Giovanni's Room. Absolutely heart-breaking and beautiful.
Also, Malorie Blackman: the Noughts and Crosses series. An absolutely massive hit in the UK, with the sixth book to be released next year I believe.

Are we allowed to include other BAME authors? I'm of Indian origin, and there's no Asian History Month, so many brown authors are often neglected. I know many people categorise brown people under black as well (I'm in the UK).

I fully understand if this isn't allowed
-- I wouldn't dream of adding any on without asking.
 

Perks

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There's a writer coming up here shortly, a guy named Shawn Cosby. This guy is a terrific writer. Very voice-y. His debut novel is coming out from Macmillan in July. I'll be preordering it. And I almost never preorder anything.
 

Animad345

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I'd like to add Dorothy Koomson.

She's British, of Ghanian descent, and Britain's best-selling black author of adult fiction. I've read all of her books bar one (I can't find it anywhere unfortunately, it was published quite a while ago). The most recent is 'Tell Me Your Secret' which had an amazing twist. Most of her books are set in Brighton.

She started out in the chick-lit genre but her latest books fall under crime/mystery. There's always a strong emotional component in her stories, which is what makes her work unique and is what makes her writing so popular. I read each of her books the moment they come out. A novel of hers called 'The Ice Cream Girls' was turned into an ITV drama on UK television, and her next novel is to be a sequel of that. I believe this is her first sequel, as all of the other novels are standalone.

I'd strongly recommend her to anyone.