Great books by black female authors

She leaves home and passes as white but has a brown skin baby while her soldier husband is away. The best female authors of all time shop for books, art. Octavia butlers kindred 1979 is one of a string of novels she penned centering on black female protagonists, which was unprecedented in a whitemale dominated science and speculative fiction. If you didnt know, february has been marked as black history month in the united states since 1926, which has served as an annual observance of noteworthy people and events of the african diaspora. Influenced by black authors like langston hughes, w. Each novel, memoir, or collection of poetry or essays listed below is a powerfully written and completely captivating celebration of the black experience. Our 11 favorite books written by black women authors in. This shortstory collection, which explores what it means to be black and a woman in america, features a wide range of black female writers including but not limited to gwendolyn brooks, gayl. From literary icons to fresh, buzzworthy talent, here are 25 great books by africanamerican authors you should add to your reading list today. I mean theyre also great books in and of themselves, obviously, ranging from magical realism to funny personal essays to epic love stories.

Harrisons book focuses on great black women, and its lovely to see lorna simpson and gwen ifill ascend to the ranks of marian anderson and bessie coleman. The 25 best books by female authors the independent. And so we present to you 25 female writers we admire for their vision, their fearlessness, their originality, and their impact on the literary world and beyond. Love there is nothing more challenging than being a black woman. By joimarie mckenzie december 18, 2018 december 21, 2018. Read some of the best fiction and nonfiction by contemporary black authors, including books in every genre from literary fiction to personal memoirs. Moreover, please consider these authors for great books discussion groups, not just in february, but also every month of the year. With the help of other black women uplifting her, she is able to find her inner worth. It does no good to write autobiographical fiction cause the minute the book hits the stand here. The first part describes a young woman, i believe she is raped, who has a green eyed daughter. Amazing novels by black female authors that should really be on. Top 12 must read books by black authors for 2019 1.

Well read black girl is a collection of essays from todays most prolific writers, detailing how they fell in love with the written word. So, in celebration of the honorary occasion, were commemorating the best books weve read and recommended to read by black authors. But no matter the scope, black writers are using literature as a way to explore race and the effects of racism on the world around us. The hairdresser of harare, was a black comedy of political manners. Delany, major jackson and others tell us about some of their favorite works of literature. The desire to read more books about girls like herself inspired 11yearold marley dias to take action. After all its still commonplace to find any of these authors shelved haphazardly in one teeny african american interests section at your local. List rules vote up the top black women authors throughout history and around the world, including novelists, essayists, journalists, and other writers. 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. Best black women s erotica 2 edited by samiyah bashir. Glory edim turned her book club into an actual book.

The atlantic ranks thomass debut novel as one of the greatest young adult pieces of literature, stating thomas. Toni morrisons beloved is the best book i have ever read. Ive borrowed, read and owned quite a few titles in the book and before starting wellread black girl i thought id made pretty good headway into the field of. Their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston, my sister, the serial killer by oyinkan braithwaite, heads of t. The flint series and the cartel series are the best in this list and all of them are not posted, but easy to find. Lets be real here, theres no single list that will ever fully capture the magic, brilliance, and range of what black women have brought to bookshelves. 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. Home black women authors book lists must read books 18 books every black woman should have on her book shelf must read books 18 books every black woman should have on her book shelf by lhea j. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon kindle store best sellers. Everyone can probably name a handful of black female authors. Black is the body was one of oprah magazines 25 most anticipated books of 2019, and now its out and in its second printing.

The only problem is narrowing a list to under 30 books standouts when all the books. Theyve written of what it was like to live in slavery, what jim crow america was like, and what 20th and 21st century america has been like for black women. These are 10 of the best books authored by black women of all time. Nikki giovanni compiled an anthology of the 100 greatest african american poems. Clearly, we could all use some generational storytelling about now. Theres a rhythm in our walk, theres a cadence in our talk. When serious writers write books for kids april 17, 2020 by rebecca rego barry. Harrison wants readers to imagine themselves in such august company.

The list also includes nonamerican authors resident in the usa and american writers of african descent. Lets talk about books because, as usual, the past year has been an amazing one for books by black writers. African american women writers have helped bring the black womans experience to life for millions of readers. To celebrate black history month, weve included 26 books by black authors from the last two centuries, all of which are mustread works. Because lets be real, they deserve all the recognition. The phenomenal acclaim this bestselling book has achieved from readers black and white, young and old, attests to her success. The club is quite successful, featuring poetry, art. Our lives will bring you to tears of sadness and of pride. So in that spirit, and in honor of women s history month, here are 20 new and upcoming releases from black women authors that you should be reading this year. In this debut for emezi, we meet ada, a young nigerian woman whos born.

Du bois and paul lawrence dunbar, her love of language developed at a young age. Best books by black female authors fiction, nonfiction. Each series has 7 books, and the flint series can be found in one thick copy. But quality writing doesnt always guarantee a quality audiobook. Described by the author herself as easily the best of my books, to the lighthouse is a novel with little regard for the rules. Black female authors list of famous black woman authors. An inspiring collection of essays by black women writers, curated by the founder of the popular book club wellread black girl, on the importance of recognizing ourselves in literature. Discover the best african american literature in best sellers. The author spent thirty years researching the novel so that the world might know the intelligent, strong, and brave black woman called vyry. Best books by black female authors fiction, nonfiction refinery29. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Read some of the best fiction and nonfiction by contemporary black authors.

Benzs taut, voltaic novel was sparked by henry dumas a southern black poet shot by a new york city policeman in an apparent case of. At the same time, recognizing great female authors is an exercise we here at powells are dedicated to undertaking again and again emphatically, enthusiastically, unapologetically. Prolific american author best known for her national book awardwinning novel them and bestselling title, we were the mulvaneys. Our 11 favorite books written by black women authors in 2018 its not too late to add these titles as stocking stuffers. 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 100 best african american poems edited by nikki giovanni as black women, we live poetry. Best friends jasmine and chelsea begin a womens rights club within their nyc high school. Without further ado, here are 14 books by black authors that. The zora canon, our list of the 100 greatest books ever written by african american women, is one of a kind, yet it exists within a rich cultural tradition.

So thats how it got started, from a tshirt to an instagram to this whole movement two years later. The 16 best books of the year by black authors the root. Black women, our stories and our accomplishments, are overwhelmingly vast and often overlooked. This list features the most famous black female authors of all time, known for books spanning multiple genres. Its always a good time to celebrate black voices, and literature is one of the best ways to honor some of the communitys most illuminating stories.

Which is exactly why weve compiled a list of the best books of 2017 by black authors. Oyinkan braithwate is a front runner for 2019s best. Top 12 must read books by black authors for 2019 black. I would also like to suggest the deadly reigns too, 4 books, plus peaches story makes it 5 books. The american novelist, shortstory writer, and literary critic as awarded the. Thanks to the work of african american authors, the world can better understand both the struggles and triumphs of black people in america.