Books
The works of these writers span multiple genres, from historical fiction to memoirs to sci-fi.
You know what they say: Write what you know. That’s probably why so many Black authors center their works around the Black experience—they heed this sage advice.
When Black authors write what they know, the result is a collection of writings — novels, short stories, essays, poems and articles — that resonate with, inspire and create dialogues among present and future readers. The 15 Black authors recommended below are proof. They all famously wrote about the Black experience, and their work, spanning multiple genres, influences people of all ages. It also makes each of them a respected figure in the literary world.
The list of amazing Black writers you should know is long. We’ve narrowed it down to 15 authors, all of whom have written something that has greatly impacted Black literature. These works span multiple genres, from historical fiction to memoirs to sci-fi.
Kennedy Ryan (b. 1981) is one of today’s most popular Black romance novel authors, appealing to readers by consistently giving her characters a happy ending but, in her words, making them “work for it.” Ryan has won several accolades for her writing. The most notable is the 2019 RITA Award by the Romance Writers of America for Best Contemporary Romance. She was the award’s first African-American recipient. Some of Ryan’s well-known titles are “The Long Shot” and “Before I Let Go.”
Zadie Smith (b. 1975) is an English novelist, essayist and short story writer best known for her incisive debut novel, “White Teeth.” The story — with its strong character development and theme of change — earned Smith several awards and honors, including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Guardian First Book Award. Smith has also authored titles “The Autograph Man,” “On Beauty” and “NW.”
James Baldwin (1924-1987) wasn’t just a famous African-American author. He was also a prominent figure in the civil rights movement who used his platform to advocate for racial equality and justice. One of Baldwin’s most popular works is “The Fire Next Time,” in which the Harlem-born writer recounts his personal experiences to explore and critique American race relations. Baldwin received many awards for his writing, including the George Polk Memorial Award in 1963. His voice was and still is impactful, especially to Black Americans.
Roxane Gay (b. 1974) wears many hats: bestselling author, distinguished professor, editor and cultural commentator. Though Gay’s work covers a range of topics, much of her work centers around race, gender identity and sexuality. These themes show up in titles like “Bad Feminist” and “Difficult Women.” She established herself as a force among African-American novelists with her debut novel, “An Untamed State,” an intense yet beautiful story of a woman finding her way back to who she once was. Gay is the founder of Tiny Hardcore Press, a micro-press under which she publishes and promotes works written by up-and-coming writers.
Listing the most famous African-American female authors and excluding Toni Morrison (1931-2019) is impossible. She is one of the most celebrated voices in literature. Morrison is best known for her 1987 novel, “Beloved.” The book, which tells the story of a woman haunted by the past, earned Morrison many awards, including the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Morrison’s other accolades include the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature — she was the first Black woman to receive the prize — and the 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom. By the time of her death, Morrison was a household name and literary giant, having penned 11 novels, plus several children’s books and essay collections.
Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was a Black American author, poet and civil rights activist best known for “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” In her autobiography, Angelou gives an honest account of her upbringing and opens up about having been sexually abused, a subject that had long been taboo. Angelou’s list of works is long and includes autobiographies, cookbooks, children’s books, plays, television shows and films. Her list of awards and honors is even longer, with over 50 honorary doctorate degrees, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, a National Medal of Arts and several Grammys.
Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) was the most successful Black woman writer of the first half of the 20th century. In a career that spanned more than three decades, Hurston published four novels, two folklore books, an autobiography, short stories, essays, articles and plays. Her most famous work is “Their Eyes Were Watching God” (1937), the story of Janie, a Black woman searching for love. The book was initially poorly received. However, its popularity grew in the 1970s, and it has since been considered an influential piece of literature.
Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was a leading Harlem Renaissance figure known primarily for his poetry. He provided an honest glimpse into working-class Black people’s joys and hardships, something Black intellectuals criticized because they felt he was making Black life seem unattractive. However, the criticism didn’t sway him, and Hughes continued penning pieces about ordinary Black Americans, including “I, Too” and “Harlem.” “The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes” contains nearly all of the works that made Hughes a famous African-American writer.
Ralph Ellison (1913-1994) was a Black author known for writing “Invisible Man,” the 1953 National Book Award winner and an influential work in American literature. Like much of Ellison’s other writing, “Invisible Man” tackles themes of racism and identity. However, those weren’t the only topics of interest to the Oklahoma-born writer. In his non-literary fiction writing, he wrote about literature, folklore and music, plus shared tales of his time studying at Tuskegee University.
Conduct a quick Google search for “dystopian novels by Black authors,” and you’ll undoubtedly find selections by MacArthur “Genius” Grant and PEN West Lifetime Achievement Award-winning Octavia Butler (1947-2006). Butler was one of the first Black women to gain prominence as a science fiction writer. Her novels, such as her most famous work, “Kindred,” blend common sci-fi elements with themes of Black injustice, women’s rights and political disparity. Butler’s success continues posthumously, with more than 200 U.S. colleges and universities teaching her work and Ava DuVernay developing her novel, “Dawn,” for television.
Alice Walker (b. 1944) is an acclaimed novelist and poet, and she’s the mastermind behind the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Color Purple.” “By the Light of My Father’s Smile,” a work on sexuality and forgiveness as paths of healing, and “We are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Inner Light in a Time of Darkness,” a collection of meditations on spiritual and political topics, are two of her many other bestsellers. Besides being a prolific writer, Walker is also an activist, devoting herself to causes that benefit people in poverty and those experiencing oppression.
Jesmyn Ward (b. 1977) is one of the more contemporary authors on this list, having published her first novel, “Where the Line Bleeds,” in 2008. She is a two-time National Book Award for Fiction winner for “Salvage the Bones” and “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” her second and third novels. A few of Ward’s other accolades include becoming the youngest person to ever receive the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction in 2022. When Ward isn’t writing, she is in the classroom working as a professor of creative writing at Tulane University.
Richard Wright (1908-1960) built his career and reputation by writing about the harshness Black Americans faced in the Jim Crow-era South, paving the way for those who would follow him, like James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison. Wright’s first novel, “Native Son,” is his most famous work, and it established him as a prominent voice in American Black literature. Following the publication of the memoir “Black Boy,” Wright moved to France, where he lived as an expatriate until his death at the age of 52.
Audre Lorde (1934-1992) was a self-described “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” who confronted issues related to racism, sexism, classism and homophobia through her poetry. Lorde was also a gifted prose writer, a fact confirmed through “The Cancer Journals,” an account of her struggle with the disease and decision to have a mastectomy. Because of her many works, Lorde received plenty of recognition and was named New York State’s Poet Laureate from 1991-1992.
Many of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s (b. 1977) works center around identity, feminism and post-colonialism. The Nigerian author’s first novel, “Purple Hibiscus,” is a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize winner, and her second, “Half of a Yellow Sun,” won the Orange Prize. She is also known for delivering two landmark TED talks. The second talk, a 2012 speech titled “We Should All Be Feminists,” started a worldwide conversation about feminism. It was also published as a book in 2014.
Dig into the best books by Black authors as you search for your next compelling read. Regardless of your chosen genre, you’ll certainly find something to inspire you and spark your imagination.
If you’re unsure where to find books by Black writers, let the power of social media help you. One of Instagram’s many book reviewer accounts might direct you to your new favorite book. Alternatively, the “Black BookTok” community on TikTok is consistently active, with users regularly logging onto the app to offer reading suggestions.
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