Black Authors

Great reads by Black authors.

Updated January 14, 2025
W
Winnipeg Public Library
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1

The vanishing half
Bennett, Brit
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2020 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES * THE WASHINGTON POST * NPR * PEOPLE * TIME MAGAZINE * VANITY FAIR * GLAMOUR New York Times<...
Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

2

Out there screaming : an anthology of new Black horror
Peele, Jordan
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The visionary writer and director of Get Out, Us, and Nope, and founder of Monkeypaw Productions, curates this groundbreaking anthology of all-new stories of Black horror, exploring not only the terrors of the supernatural but the chilling...
Also available in eBook format.

3

I rise
Arnold, Marie
Paper Book
"A love letter to Harlem and hope. I Rise is smart and funny and full of heart.*" Fourteen-year-old Ayo who has to decide whether to take on her mother's activist role when her mom is shot by police. As she tries to find answers, Ayo looks to the wisdom of her ancestors and...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

4

The undefeated
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal A 2020 Newbery Honor Book Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time...
Also available in eBook format.

5

Black girls must die exhausted : a novel
Allen, Jayne
Paper Book
"It's a good thing that this is only the first book of a trilogy, because after getting to know Tabitha, you won't want to leave her at the end. . . . Written intimately as if you're peering into the mind of a close friend, this book is a true testament to the stresses on women...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

6

So long a letter
B,́ Mariama.
Paper Book
This novel is in the form of a letter, written by the widowed Ramatoulaye and describing her struggle for survival. It is the winner of the Noma Award.

28 lettres que la narratrice, Ramatoulaye Fall, adresse a sa meilleure amie, Aissatou Ba. Elles decrivent la condition des femmes en Afrique en abordant des sujets tels que la polygamie, le difficile effacement de certaines traditions, l'absence de droits pour les femmes, leur place en politique, l'education sexuelle des filles et l'affirmation de la valeur de leur corps.

7

The vanishing half
Bennett, Brit
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2020 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES * THE WASHINGTON POST * NPR * PEOPLE * TIME MAGAZINE * VANITY FAIR * GLAMOUR New York Times<...

Des jumelles inseparables choisissent de vivre dans deux mondes etrangers : celui des Blancs et celui des Noirs.

Aussi disponible en format numerique et large vision.

8

Between the world and me
Coates, Ta-Nehisi.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER * NAMED ONE OF TIME'S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE * PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST * NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST * ONE OF OPRAH'S "BOOKS THAT HELP ME THROUGH" * NOW AN HBO ORIGINAL SPECIAL EVENT...
Also available in Audiobook, eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

9

Victory. Stand! : raising my fist for justice
Smith, Tommie
Paper Book
On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon...

10

House of whispers. Volume one, The power divided
Hopkinson, Nalo
Paper Book
One of four books expanding Neil Gaiman's acclaimed Sandman Universe. Welcome to the House of Dahomey, the houseboat of Erzulie Fréda, where the souls of Voodoo followers go when they sleep but even the fearsome Erzulie is powerless when her dream river turns sour, tossing her house from one...
Canadian author.

11

Even though I knew the end
Polk, C. L.
Paper Book
A USA Today Bestseller! Winner of the Nebula Award! Finalist for the Hugo Award! Finalist for the World Fantasy Award! A New York Times Best Romance of 2022! C. L. Polk turns their...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author

12

The sleeping car porter
Mayr, Suzette
Paper Book
FEATURED ON MICHELLE OBAMA'S INSTAGRAM SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD WINNER OF THE 2022 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE WINNER OF THE 2023 GEORGES BUGNET AWARD FOR FICTION FINALIST FOR THE 2023 GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD FOR ENGLISH...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats, and as a Book Club Kit.

Canadian author.

13

The son of the house
Onyemelukwe-Onuobia, Cheluchi
Paper Book
SHORTLISTED for the Scotiabank Giller Prize 2021 * WINNER of the Nigeria Prize for Literature 2021 * SHORTLISTED for the Chinua Achebe Prize for Nigerian Writing 2021 * WINNER of the SprinNG Women Authors Prize 2020 * WINNER of the Best International Fiction Book Award, Sharjah International Book...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

14

In the belly of the Congo : a novel
Ndala, Blaise
Paper Book
April 1958. When the Brussels World's Fair opens, Robert Dumont, one of the people responsible for the biggest international event since the end of the Second World War, ends up laying down his arms in the face of pressure from the royal palace: there will be a 'Congolese village' in one of the...

Dans le ventre du Congo raconte l'histoire de la princesse Tshala Nyota Moelo, qui s'affranchit des codes d'une des plus prestigieuses monarchies du Congo precolonial. Seduite par un jeune colon belge, elle finira dans le dernier zoo humain de l'Europe. Nous voila plonges au coeur du « village congolais » de l'Exposition universelle et internationale de Bruxelles de 1958, ou l'on retrouve l'oeuvre coloniale dans toute son ignominie.

Aussi dispoinble en format numerique.

Auteure canadienne.

15

The most secret memory of men
Sarr, Mohamed Mbougar
Paper Book
A Best Book of 2023 by the New York Times and The New Yorker and Longlisted for the National Book Award A gripping literary mystery in the vein of Bolaño's Savage Detectives, this coming-of-age novel unravels the fascinating life of a maligned Black author,...

En 2018, Diegane Latyr Faye, jeune ecrivain senegalais, decouvre a Paris un livre mythique, paru en 1938 : Le labyrinthe de l’inhumain. On a perdu la trace de son auteur, qualifie en son temps de « Rimbaud negre », depuis le scandale que declencha la parution de son texte. Diegane s’engage alors, fascine, sur la piste du mystérieux T.C. Elimane, se confrontant aux grandes tragedies que sont le colonialisme ou la Shoah. Du Senegal a la France en passant par l’Argentine, quelle verite l’attend au centre de ce labyrinthe ?

Aussi disponible en formats numeriques.

16

In the upper country
Thomas, Kai
Paper Book
Winner of the 2023 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize The fates of two unforgettable women--one just beginning a journey of reckoning and self-discovery and the other completing her life's last vital act--intertwine in this sweeping, powerful novel set at the...

Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

Canadian author.

17

Sincerely Sicily
Burgess, Tamika
Paper Book
From debut author Tamika Burgess comes the captivating and empowering story of Sicily Jordan--a Black Panamanian fashionista who rocks her braids with pride--who learns to use her voice and take pride in who she is while confronting prejudice in the most unexpected of places. ...
Also available in eBook format.

18

Between the world and me
Coates, Ta-Nehisi
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER * NAMED ONE OF TIME'S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE * PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST * NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST * ONE OF OPRAH'S "BOOKS THAT HELP ME THROUGH" * NOW AN HBO ORIGINAL SPECIAL EVENT...

« Voila ce qu'il faut que tu saches : en Amerique, la destruction du corps noir est une tradition, un heritage. Je ne voudrais pas que tu te couches dans un reve. Je voudrais que tu sois un citoyen de ce monde beau et terrible a la fois, un citoyen conscient. J'ai decide de ne rien te cacher. ». Dans cette lettre adressée a son fils de 15 ans, Ta-Nehisi Coates revient sur la condition de l'homme noir aux Etats-Unis. Une ode a l'humanite, un cri de colere contre ce mal qui gangrene la societe americaine depuis des siecles.

Aussi disponible en format numerique.

19

Out of the sun : on race and storytelling
Edugyan, Esi
Paper Book
An insightful exploration and moving meditation on identity, art, and belonging from one of the most celebrated writers of the last decade.  What happens when we begin to consider stories at the margins, when we grant them centrality? How does that complicate our certainties about who...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

20

Disorientation : being Black in the world
Williams, Ian
Paper Book
A BOSTON GLOBE BEST BOOK OF 2021 Bestselling Scotiabank Giller Award-winning writer Ian Williams brings a fresh point of view and new insights to the urgent conversation on race and racism in these illuminating essays born from his own experience as a Black man in the world. ...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

21

Black girls
Furukawa, Dominique
Paper Book
A joyful love letter to every Black girl everywhere. In an upbeat and rhythmic ode, Dominique Furukawa and Erika Lynne Jones celebrate Black girls in all their beauty and joy. Black Girls uplifts girls of every shade, size, and walk of life, reminding them that they are perfectly...

22

We are here
Charles, Tami
Paper Book
An empowering follow-up to New York Times bestselling picture book All Because You Matter that celebrates the rich history of Black and brown men and women throughout history with soaring language and stunning illustration. Lyrical, affirmational, and bursting with love,...
Also available in eBook format.

23

Dreamer
Aliu, Akim
Paper Book
This honest, engrossing graphic memoir tells the story of professional athlete and activist Akim Aliu's incredible life as a hockey prodigy in Canada. Akim Aliu -- also known as "Dreamer" -- is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the world and...

24

I color myself different
Kaepernick, Colin
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An inspiring story of identity and self-esteem from celebrated athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick. When Colin Kaepernick was five years old, he was given a simple school assignment: draw a picture of yourself and your family. What young...

25

Viola Desmond won't be budged!
Warner, Jody Nyasha
Paper Book
Finalist for the 2011 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction "On behalf of the Nova Scotia government, I sincerely apologize to Mrs. Viola Desmond's family and to all African Nova Scotians for the racial discrimination she was subjected to by the justice system ... We...
Canadian author.

26

Viola Desmond won't be budged!
Warner, Jody
Paper Book
Finalist for the 2011 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction "On behalf of the Nova Scotia government, I sincerely apologize to Mrs. Viola Desmond's family and to all African Nova Scotians for the racial discrimination she was subjected to by the justice system ... We...

27

It's not bragging if it's true
Avant-garde, Zaila
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Kids will be inspired to embrace their inner weirdness and persevere through obstacles after reading this empowering collection of true stories from teenage Scripps National Spelling Bee champ and Guinness World Record holder Zaila Avant-garde! Includes 8...

Also available in eBook format.

28

What storm, what thunder
Chancy, Myriam J. A.
Paper Book
At the end of a long, sweltering day, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude shakes the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. Award-winning author Myriam J. A. Chancy masterfully charts the inner lives of the characters affected by the disaster--Richard, an expat and wealthy water-bottling executive with a...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

29

The most secret memory of men
Sarr, Mohamed Mbougar
Paper Book
A Best Book of 2023 by the New York Times and The New Yorker and Longlisted for the National Book Award A gripping literary mystery in the vein of Bolaño's Savage Detectives, this coming-of-age novel unravels the fascinating life of a maligned Black author,...

30

Son of elsewhere : a memoir in pieces
Abdelmahmoud, Elamin
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR * A "funny and frank" (The New York Times) collection of essays on Blackness, faith, pop culture, and the challenges--and rewards--of finding one's way in the world, from a BuzzFeed editor and podcast host. "A memoir...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

31

The fire next time
Baldwin, James
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The book that galvanized the nation, gave voice to the emerging civil rights movementin the 1960s--and still lights the way to understanding race in America today. * "The finest essay I've ever read." --Ta-Nehisi Coates At once a powerful evocation of James...

Also available in eBook, eAudiobook, and Audiobook formats.

32

Salvage : readings from the wreck
Brand, Dionne
Paper Book
One of Literary Hub's most anticipated books of 2024 Dionne Brand explores English and American literature, and the colonial aesthetic that shaped her sense of self and the world, of what was possible and what was not. In Salvage: Readings from the...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

33

Rage : on being queer, black, brilliant... and completely over it
Fabian Brathwaite, Lester
Paper Book
A debut book from Entertainment Weekly writer and former Out magazine editor Lester Fabian Brathwaite, Rage is a darkly comedic exploration of Blackness, queerness, and the American Dream, at a time when creative anger feels like the best response to inequality.

Also available in eBook format.

34

Africa : the definitive visual history of a continent
Asaaju, Morenikeji
Paper Book
Immerse yourself in Africa's vast and intricate story and discover Africa's true place in world history, written and authenticated by experts of African heritage. Spanning more than 200,000 years, from the emergence of the first humans to the rise of megacities, Africa explores...

35

The girl in the middle : growing up between black and white, rich and poor
Granofsky, Anais
Paper Book
In this poignant and timely memoir--written with the searing power of Beautiful Struggle and Born a Crime--Degrassi Junior High star Anais Granofsky contemplates the lingering impact of a childhood spent in two opposite and warring worlds. Though recognized around the world for her role as...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

36

How to be a (young) antiracist
Kendi, Ibram X.
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times bestseller that sparked international dialogue is now a book for young adults! Based on the adult bestseller by Ibram X. Kendi, and co-authored by bestselling author Nic Stone, How to be a (Young) Antiracist will serve as a guide for teens seeking a way forward...

Also available in eBook format, and a Book Club Kit.

37

Caste : the origins of our discontents
Wilkerson, Isabel
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NEW YORK TIMES READERS PICK: 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY * OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK * "An instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far."--Dwight Garner, The New York Times

Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

38

Dear Black girls : how to be true to you
Wilson, A'ja
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Through honest stories and inspiring lessons from her life, A'ja Wilson reminds us to never doubt who we are or apologize for being true to ourselves. Dear Black Girls is a must-read for every Black girl out there." &...

Also available in eBook format.

39

Young, gifted and black, too
Wilson, Jamia
Paper Book

Also available in eBook format.

40

Snowy mittens : a winter adventure
Grant, Shauntay
Paper Book
The picture bookSnowy Mittens: A Winter Adventure isa celebration of Black joy and the simple pleasures of a day in the snow from award-winning poet and picture book author Shauntay Grant. Follow along as a young boy spends the day sledding and ice...

Canadian author.

41

The reckoning
Hudson, Wade
Paper Book
A powerful contemporary novel about an aspiring 12 year-old filmmaker whose world is turned upside down when his grandfather is slain in a senseless and racist act of violence. From the author of the award-winning memoir, Defiant- Growing Up in the Jim Crow South and co-editor of...

Also available in eBook format.

42

Poemhood, our black revival : history, folklore & the Black experience: a young adult poetry anthology
McBride, Amber
Paper Book
"A rich, thoughtful anthology exploring centuries of Black poetry." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This deep and complex assemblage of Black poetry culminates in a joyful, painful, and emotionally rich experience." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "An eclectic mix of Black...

Also available in eBook format.

43

Cool. Awkward. Black
Strong, Karen
Paper Book
Real or imaginary, geekdom is where it's at in this multi-genre YA anthology that celebrates "the geek," with stories by some of today's top bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors. Contributors include Amerie, Kalynn Bayron, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Roseanne A. Brown,...

Also available in eBook format.

44

Queenie : a novel
Carty-Williams, Candice
Paper Book
*NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES* *ONE of NPR's and TIME's BEST BOOKS of the YEAR * NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK of the YEAR by WOMAN'S DAY, NEWSDAY, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BUSTLE, and BOOK RIOT!* "A book that sneaks up on...

Also available in eBook and Audiobook formats.

Aussi disponible en format numerique.

45

Inheritance : a visual poem
Acevedo, Elizabeth
Paper Book
They tell me to "fix" my hair. And by fix, they mean straighten, they mean whiten; but how do you fix this shipwrecked history of hair? In her most famous spoken-word poem, author of the Pura Belpré-winning novel-in-verse The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo embraces all the...

Also available in eBook format.


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