4 Bestselling Poetry Books

Period: September/October - 2023

Celebrating Black stories and authors since 1998, the AALBC Bestsellers List is now published quarterly. Here’s a printable list and collage of this period’s titles. Also check out the BLK Bestsellers—the definitive monthly guide to America’s bestselling books by Black writers.

Fiction:
Voices of the Harlem Renaissance makes our bestsellers list for the 19th time! Only 7 other books have accomplished this feat.

Nonfiction:
Edited by Jericho Brown How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice, and Skill; debuted on at #3 on our list and now tops the nonfiction list.

Children’s Books:
Jelani’s Key by D. Amari Jackson was the top selling book of all titles this period, largely on the strength of sales during a book signing at Sankofa Bookstore and Cafe on October 28th.

Poetry:
Poetry sales were topped by Life On Mars: Poems by Tracy K. Smith, the 12-year-old collection of poems won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.