Black Authors

Great reads by Black authors.

Updated January 14, 2025
W
Winnipeg Public Library
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1

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.

2

L'autre moitiĂŠ de soi
Bennett, Brit, author.
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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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 African...

6

The Night Piece: Collected Short Fiction
Alexis, Andre
Paper Book
A career-spanning collection of stories from the author of Fifteen Dogs, winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, and Canada Reads. Vivid, profound, moving, and with moments of sly humour, the stories in The Night Piece reveal...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

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<...
Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

8

Until we are free : reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada
Diverlus, Rodney
Paper Book
The killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012 by a white assailant inspired the Black Lives Matter movement, which quickly spread outside the borders of the United States. The movement's message found fertile ground in Canada, where Black activists speak of generations of injustice and continue the work...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

9

Une cole?re noire : lettre a? mon fils
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.

10

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.

11

The girl in the middle : growing up between black and white, rich and poor
Granofsky, Anais
Paper Book
A moving and vivid memoir of a young girl--long before her starring role in the Degrassi series--who was always switching between worlds, wanting only to be loved When Anais Granofsky's parents meet in the early 1970s, they are foreign and fascinating to each other. Stanley is the son of a...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

12

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 today and how...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

13

The skin we're in : a year of Black resistance and power
Cole, Desmond
Paper Book
In the tradition of Ta-Nehisi Coates, a bracing, provocative and perspective-shifting book from one of Canada's most celebrated and uncompromising writers, Desmond Cole. The Skin We're In will spark a national conversation, influence policy and inspire activists.

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

14

Black matters
Cooper, Afua
Paper Book
Halifax's former Poet Laureate Afua Cooper and photographer Wilfried Raussert collaborate in this book of poems and photographs focused on everyday Black experiences. The result is a jambalaya -- a dialogue between image and text. Cooper translates Raussert's photos into poetry, painting a profound...
Canadian author.

15

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

16

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.

17

Finding Edward
Murray, Sheila.
Paper Book
Shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award Longlisted for the Toronto Book Awards Longlisted for Canada Reads 2023 A Globe and Mail Best Book Cyril Rowntree migrates to Toronto from Jamaica in 2012. Managing a precarious balance of work and university he begins to...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

18

Dans le ventre du Congo
Ndala, Blaise
Paper Book
A sweeping historical novel and an intergenerational family saga about the mysterious disappearance of a Congolese princess and the niece who is determined to uncover her fate more than four decades later, by the internationally acclaimed and award-winning Congolese Canadian author Blaise Ndala.<...

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.

19

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.

20

In the Belly of the Congo
Ndala, Blaise
Paper Book
A sweeping historical novel and an intergenerational family saga about the mysterious disappearance of a Congolese princess and the niece who is determined to uncover her fate more than four decades later, by the internationally acclaimed and award-winning Congolese Canadian author Blaise Ndala.<...

Canadian author.

21

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.

22

La plus secrète mémoire des hommes : roman
Mbougar Sarr, Mohamed
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD · LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD A masterful coming-of-age novel and a gripping investigation into the life of a mysterious author who disappeared without a trace, by the first writer from sub-Saharan Africa to...

23

In the Upper Country: A Novel
Thomas, Kai
Paper Book
*NATIONAL BESTSELLER* *WINNER OF THE 2023 WRITER'S TRUST ATWOOD GIBSON PRIZE* SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOVERNER GENERAL'S AWARD FOR FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE AMAZON CANADA FIRST NOVEL AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE RAKUTEN KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE ...

Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

Canadian author.

24

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.

25

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.

26

Black writers matter
French, Whitney
Paper Book
"Black Writers? African, Bluesy, Classical, Disrespectful,  Erudite, Fiery, Groovy, Haunting, Inspiring, Jazzy, Knowing, Liberating, Militant, Nervy, Optimistic, Pugnacious, Quixotic, Rambunctious, Seductive, Truculent, Urgent, Vivacious, Wicked, X-ray sharp, Yearning, Zesty. And so, they...
Also available in eBook format.

27

They said this would be fun : race, campus life, and growing up
Martis, Eternity
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER A powerful, moving memoir about what it's like to be a student of colour on a predominantly white campus. A booksmart kid from Toronto, Eternity Martis was excited to move away to Western University for her undergraduate degree. But as one of the...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

28

Disorientation : being Black in the world
Williams, Ian
Paper Book
A FINALIST FOR THE 2021 HILARY WESTON WRITERS' TRUST PRIZE FOR NONFICTION   Bestselling, Scotiabank Giller Award-winning writer Ian Williams brings fresh eyes and new insights to today's urgent conversation on race and racism in startling, illuminating essays that grow out...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

29

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 Nigerian born, Ukrainian Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the...

30

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...

31

Dear Black girls
Nicole, Shanice
Paper Book
Dear Black Girls is a letter to all Black girls. Every single day poet and educator Shanice Nicole is reminded of how special Black girls are and of how lucky she is to be one. Illustrations by Kezna Dalz support the book's message that no two Black girls are the same but they are all special that...
Canadian author.

32

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.

33

La détermination de Viola Desmond
Warner, Jody Nyasha
Paper Book
See below for English description. La détermination de Viola Desmond Nouvelle-Écosse, 1946. Le placier prie Viola Desmond de quitter son siège au parterre pour aller s'asseoir au balcon. Viola refuse de bouger : elle sait très bien qu'on lui fait cette requête...
Auteure canadienne.

34

What Storm, What Thunder: A Novel
Chancy, Myriam J. A.
Paper Book
American Book Award Winner Finalist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize Longlisted for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature A NPR, Boston Globe, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, and Library Journal Best Book of the Year At the...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

35

The Most Secret Memory of Men: A Novel
Mbougar Sarr, Mohamed
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD · LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD A masterful coming-of-age novel and a gripping investigation into the life of a mysterious author who disappeared without a trace, by the first writer from sub-Saharan Africa to...

36

Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces
Abdelmahmoud, Elamin
Paper Book
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER   From one of the most beloved media personalities of his generation comes a one-of-a-kind reflection on Blackness, faith, language, pop culture, and the challenges and rewards of finding your way in the world. Professional wrestling...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

37

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.

38

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.

39

Queenie : a novel
Carty-Williams, Candice
Paper Book
NAMED ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2019 BY WOMAN'S DAY, NEWSDAY, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BUSTLE, AND BOOK RIOT! "[B]rilliant, timely, funny, heartbreaking." --Jojo Moyes, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You<...

Also available in eBook and Audiobook formats.

Aussi disponible en format numerique.


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