AALBC Search
Linda Addison
Linda Addison 000000003555029X “Addison has enough invention for two writers, and enough heart for three.” —Terry Bisson, Nebula Award winning author Linda D. Addison, first African...
Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward 0000000049339751 Two-Time National Book Award Winning Author Jesmyn Ward, a Mississippi-born author and University of South Alabama professor, has penned novels like “Where the Line Bleeds...
Edwidge Danticat
Edwidge Danticat 000000011051509X Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian-born author, is renowned for her books like “Breath, Eyes, Memory”, an Oprah Book Club pick, and “The Farming of Bones”, an American Book...
Jill Robinson
Jill Robinson 0000000084555417 Jill Robinson, a marketing specialist and author, creates content for adult and teen audiences. Her work spans various publications and anthologies, including Dark Matt...
Patrisse Khan-Cullors
Patrisse Khan-Cullors 0000000486461392 Patrisse Khan-Cullors, an LA-based artist and freedom fighter, is known for co-founding Black Lives Matter and Dignity and Power Now. A Fulbright scholar and NA...
Boubacar Boris Diop
Boubacar Boris Diop 0000000121417292 Boubacar Boris Diop is a renowned Senegalese novelist and screenwriter. His acclaimed work, Murambi, The Book of Bones, made it to Africa's 100 Best Books of the ...
Tanya Shirley
Tanya Shirley NONE Jamaican author and lecturer Tanya Shirley is a graduate from the University of Maryland with an MFA in Creative Writing. Her work is featured in various publications and anthologi...
Justina Ireland
Justina Ireland 0000000485185365 Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation, Deathless Divide and Star Wars novel Lando’s Luck, is a Pennsylvania-based writer known for her love of dark chocolate, humor...
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Maxine Beneba Clarke NONE Maxine Beneba Clarke, an Afro-Caribbean author and slam poet, wrote The Patchwork Bike and When We Say Black Lives Matter, aimed at explaining the concept of Black Lives Mat...
Denisha Jones and Jesse Hagopian
Denisha Jones and Jesse Hagopian MULTIPLE Denisha Jones, a member of the national Black Lives Matter at School committee, is an activist and advocate for education justice. She is the Director of the...
Brandon Massey
Brandon Massey 0000000038345320 Brandon Massey, born on June 9, 1973, is a passionate writer from Illinois now based in Atlanta. With an early fascination for words and stories, he began writing in h...
Charles R. Saunders
Charles R. Saunders 0000000073596061 Charles Robert Saunders (1946–2020) was a pioneering African American author and journalist credited with creating the Sword and Soul genre. Born in Pennsylvania...
Kiini Ibura Salaam
Kiini Ibura Salaam NONE Kiini Ibura Salaam is a writer, painter, and traveler from New Orleans, Louisiana. The middle child of five, she grew up in a hardscrabble neighborhood with oak and fig trees...
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis MUL...
Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas 0000000486125057 Angie Thomas, a Mississippi-based author, gained fame with her debut novel 'The Hate U Give'. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the novel was a #1 New York Ti...
Ibi Zoboi, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Dhonielle Clayton, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Lamar Giles, Leah Henderson, Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, Renée Watson, Rita Williams-Garcia, and others
Ibi Zoboi, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Dhonielle Clayton, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Lamar Giles, Leah Henderson, Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, Renée Watso...
Tracy Sherrod
Tracy Sherrod NONE Tracy Sherrod, editorial director of HarperCollins' Amistad, has worked with award-winning authors and published numerous bestsellers. She has held editorial positions at Simon and...
Shirley Perry-Church
Shirley Perry-Church NONE Shirley Perry-Church, an educator, author, and artist, has written her debut book, The Hunt for the Magic Pearl, to inspire struggling young readers. With degrees in Psychol...
Biyi Bandele
Biyi Bandele 0000000120964833 Biyi Bandele-Thomas (1967-2022) was a renowned Nigerian novelist, playwright, director, and photographer. He was celebrated as one of Africa's top 50 artists. Bandele's ...
April Sinclair
April Sinclair NONE April Sinclair, a Chicago native, is a renowned author and community activist. Known for her dedicated activism in Oakland and her unique approach to her literary debut, Sinclair'...
Virginia Black
Virginia Black 0000000112712687 Virginia Black is a California-born writer, now living in the Pacific Northwest. Known for her love of whiskey, loud music, and dark speculative fiction, she spends he...
Diane Cooper
Diane Cooper 0000000080411715 Pamela O'Hara, writing as Dianne Cooper, is a former inmate turned advocate for incarcerated fathers and motivational speaker. She empowers others to overcome adversity ...
Leone Ross
Leone Ross 0000000114886285 Leone Ross is an acclaimed British novelist, short story writer and lecturer. Born in England, raised in Jamaica, her works include “All The Blood Is Red” and “Orange Laug...
Daaimah S. Poole
Daaimah S. Poole NONE Daaimah S. Poole, author of Yoyo Love, began writing to produce stories relatable to her own experiences. Despite balancing motherhood and work, she devoted time to her writing,...
Kam Williams
Kam Williams NONE Lloyd “Kam” Williams was a renowned film and book critic, contributing to AALBC.com and numerous other publications. A member of several critics associations, he was known for his a...
Charles M. Blow
Charles M. Blow 0000000434813325 Charles M. Blow is a renowned journalist and op-ed columnist for the New York Times, appearing regularly on CNN. He is also the author of a bestselling memoir. A magn...
Nikki Turner
Nikki Turner 0000000040675687 Nikki Turner, renowned as “The Queen of Hip Hop Fiction”, is an Essence best-selling author known for shedding light on the unseen side of street life. Balancing work an...
Debra Owsley
Debra Owsley NONE Debra Owsley, avid reader and hairstylist, transformed her passion into a business, Simply Said Reading Accessories and LitVersation. She collaborates with bestselling authors, book...
Marilyn Tyner
Marilyn Tyner NONE Marilyn Tyner (1943-2014) was an author from Pittsburgh, PA. An avid reader, Tyner attended Howard University studying psychology and zoology, and worked on the college literary ma...
Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, Marilyn Nelson, Ishmael Reed, Sonia Sanchez, Yusef Komunyakaa, Afaa Michael Weaver, and Rita Dove
Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, Marilyn Nelson, Ishmael Reed, Sonia Sanchez, Yusef Komunyakaa, Afaa Michael Weaver, and Rita Dove MULTIPLE Prominent authors Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, ...
Naleighna Kai, Pat G’Orge Walker, Lisa Watson, Martha Kennerson, Michelle D. Rayford, Janice Pernell, J. L. Campbell, Kisha Green, and Terri Ann Johnson
Naleighna Kai, Pat G’Orge Walker, Lisa Watson, Martha Kennerson, Michelle D. Rayford, Janice Pernell, J. L. Campbell, Kisha Green, and Terri Ann Johnson MULTIPLE "Naleighna Kai, Pat G’Orge Walker, Li...
Cathie Wright-Lewis
Cathie Wright-Lewis NONE Cathie Wright-Lewis, a lover of linguistics, ancient history, and metaphysics, is a former NYC high school English teacher with a passion for diverse cultures and dialects. O...
Sarah J. Heidelberg
Sarah J. Heidelberg NONE Kansas-born Sarah Jane Heidelberg, an artistic, music-loving author and tutor, runs her own publishing company, Ophelia Brown Publishing. Inspired by a childhood German tale,...
Bisi Adjapon
Bisi Adjapon NONE Bisi Adjapon is a renowned writer featured in McSweeney’s Quarterly, Washington Times, and more. She founded The Young Shakespeare company and won the Civil Rights Award for Human R...
Cameron Barnett
Cameron Barnett NONE Cameron Barnett's work explores the complexity of race, place, and relationships for Black people in America. He teaches middle school English language arts and social studies at...
Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith 0000000109631675 Maggie Smith is the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of nine books of poetry and prose, including A Suit or a Suitcase, Dear Writer, You Could Make This ...
Charlotte Watson Sherman
Charlotte Watson Sherman 0000000067613072 Charlotte Watson Sherman, a Seattle-born author, is known for her novels, children's books, and short fiction collection. Formerly a librarian, her works inc...
Ahmad Wright
Ahmad Wright NONE Ahmad Wright is an accomplished writer and assistant professor of English at the University of the District of Columbia Community College. With a rich writing career, his book revie...
RAWSISTAZ
RAWSISTAZ NONE The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers were a group of 13 women, including founder Tee C. Royal, who promoted books by and about African Americans. These avid readers, reviewers and members of the Re...
Cathy Finch White
Cathy Finch White NONE Cathy Finch White, a former medical professional turned author, advocates for child education through reading. She has written four award-winning books, including “Anna Learn's...
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes 0000000121303076 “Democracy will not come / Today, this year, nor ever / Through compromise and fear.” Langston Hughes, The Poet Laureate of Harlem: Author, Poet, Essayist, Novelist, P...
Lamar Giles
Lamar Giles 0000000514184709 L.R. Giles is a renowned author and speaker from Virginia, known for his commitment to diversity in publishing. A founding member of We Need Diverse Books, Giles made his...
Tariq Nasheed
Tariq Nasheed 0000000035827594 Tariq Nasheed, also known as Tariq Elite, King Flex, and K-Flex, is a renowned author, film producer, and director. He's known for his advice books on dating and the ho...
Thomas Sayers Ellis
Thomas Sayers Ellis 0000000052292843 AALBC Mourns Thomas Sayers Ellis Passing July 17, 2025 Thomas Sayers Ellis is a poet, photographer, and educator. He co-founded the Dark Room Collective, promoting...
Nate Marshall
Nate Marshall NONE Nate Marshall is an acclaimed author, poet, and educator, recognized for his book “Wild Hundreds.” As a member of The Dark Noise Collective and co-director of Crescendo Literary, h...
Linda Addison and Alessandro Manzetti
Linda Addison and Alessandro Manzetti MULTIPLE Poets Linda D. Addison and Alessandro Manzetti have collaborated to create a unique poetry collection. The book, written across different time zones, fe...
Cinque Brown
Cinque Brown NONE Cinque Brown, a Harlem native, is a full-time philosopher with a passion for questioning life. He's an avid learner with a focus on science and technology, and enjoys social comment...
Ronda Racha Penrice
Ronda Racha Penrice NONE Ronda Racha Penrice, an expert in African American history and culture, studied at Columbia University and NYU, focusing on African American literature. She contributed to Th...
Marcia Wilson
Marcia Wilson NONE Marcia E. Wilson, a British-born photographer, has extensively documented poets, writers, and literary events of the African Diaspora since 1995. Her work, featured in major print ...
Shannon Holmes, Wahida Clark, Victor L. Martin, Sa'id Salaam, Reds Johnson, Hood Chronicles, Joe Awsum, and Vance Phillips
Shannon Holmes, Wahida Clark, Victor L. Martin, Sa'id Salaam, Reds Johnson, Hood Chronicles, Joe Awsum, and Vance Phillips MULTIPLE "Shannon Holmes, Wahida Clark, Victor L. Martin, Sa'id Salaam, Reds...
Connie Bradley
Connie Bradley NONE Connie Divers Bradley, also known as Cynique, is a retired postal worker and provocative columnist based in Chicago. She has been a notable contributor to the AALBC discussion boa...
S. Pearl Sharp
S. Pearl Sharp 0000000036855052 S. Pearl Sharp is a writer, actress, filmmaker and broadcast journalist. An advocate of holistic healing, S. Pearl conducts workshops that merge art and healing, and c...
Walter Benefield
Walter Benefield NONE Walter Benefield, a U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, is an accomplished book reviewer for AALBC.com. His passion for African American Literature and writing is driven by his ...
Charles R. Smith Jr.
Charles R. Smith Jr. NONE Charles R. Smith Jr. is an acclaimed author, poet, and photographer with over 30 books. He's a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration and Honor Author Aw...
Chance Arradondo
Chance Arradondo NONE Chance Arradondo is a versatile writer, born in 1989 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He writes novels, poetry, short stories, and lyrics, inspired by his life experiences and love fo...
Victor S. Navasky
Victor S. Navasky 0000000110768695 Victor Saul Navasky, a former editor of The Nation and The New York Times Magazine, founded Monocle and authored award-winning books including Naming Names and A Ma...
Wesley Lowery
Wesley Lowery 0000000497725736 Wesley Lowery is a Pulitzer Prize-winning national reporter for the Washington Post, specializing in law enforcement and justice. Known for his coverage of the Black Li...
Darnell L. Moore
Darnell L. Moore 0000000430743868 Darnell L. Moore, born 1976, is an influential writer and editor with contributions at CASSIUS, LogoTV.com, and Mic, and a regular writer for Ebony, Advocate, Vice, ...
Candace Owens
Candace Owens NONE Candace Owens, born in 1989, is a political commentator and the former Communications Director for Turning Point USA. Known for founding the #Blexit movement, her pro-Trump activis...
Devin Allen
Devin Allen NONE Devin Allen is a self-taught artist from Baltimore. He's known for his powerful photographs published on Time magazine covers, notably during the Baltimore Uprising and BlackTrans Li...
Linda Gaston-Bessellieu
Linda Gaston-Bessellieu NONE Linda Gaston-Bessellieu, a retired teacher with 30 years in NYC & State school systems, co-authors with her daughter, Tawana Bessellieu, a preschool teacher. They share a...
Kenesha Sneed
Kenesha Sneed NONE Kenesha Sneed, a Los Angeles-based award-winning artist and Creative Director, centers her work on empowerment and the Black female experience. Known as Tactile Matter for her text...
Roy DeCarava
Roy DeCarava 0000000083496240 Roy DeCarava (1919-2009) was an American artist known for his black-and-white photography of modern life. His unique and intimate approach to subject matter displayed a ...
Natasha S. Alford
Natasha S. Alford NONE Natasha S. Alford is a celebrated journalist and digital host known for her impactful reporting on politics, culture, and social issues. She's a Harvard graduate and an Emmy aw...
Brenda Williams
Brenda Williams NONE Brenda Williams is a writer, speaker, and advocate devoted to empowering young girls to see their beauty, believe in their dreams, and know they matter. Through her Worthy &...
Angela S. Medearis
Angela S. Medearis NONE Angela Shelf Medearis combines a general love for children‘s literature with a particular attention to the reading needs of young African Americans. “I write the kinds ...
Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds 0000000050509463 Jason Reynolds is a 2024 MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius” Grant Winner Jason Reynolds, an acclaimed author and professor, aims to engage readers, espec...
Paige Turner
Paige Turner NONE Paige Turner, a lifelong book lover, has over 15 years of marketing experience in Fortune 75 companies. Passionate about sharing ideas from books, she's been writing a weekly book r...
Christopher Grant
Christopher Grant 0000000068848201 Brooklyn-born Christopher Grant, an alumnus of Stony Brook University, is a diverse professional with experiences ranging from equities trader to actor. Inspired by...
Tamara Mayo
Tamara Mayo NONE Tamara Mayo, a Virginia-native author, developed her love for reading at a young age. She moved to California at 19, where she pursued a writing career including ghostwriting and edi...
Sheree Renée Thomas
Sheree Renée Thomas 0000000019174343 Sheree R. Thomas is a multi-talented writer, editor, publisher, educator, and visual artist. She co-publishes the literary journal Anansi and founded Wanganegress...
Marlon James
Marlon James 0000000072615785 Jamaican-born author Marlon James, featured on Mosaic Literary Magazine's cover, is a University of the West Indies literature graduate. His debut novel, John Crow’s Dev...
Steven Van Patten
Steven Van Patten NONE Steven Van Patten, a Brooklyn-born author, is renowned for his Brookwater's Curse trilogy and Killer Genius series. His short fiction contributions include horror anthologies a...
Mandisa Hundley
Mandisa Hundley 0000000046764760 Mandisa Lynn Hundley was a Grammy-award winning artist known for her Christian music. She began her career singing backup for renowned artists and later topped Christ...
Lisa Teasley
Lisa Teasley 0000000037575087 Lisa Teasley is an acclaimed author of novels and story collections, including the award-winning 'Glow in the Dark'. Her works are translated into multiple languages. Sh...
Jay Lemming
Jay Lemming NONE Jay Lemming is a Washington, DC-based author known for dark literary fiction and horror. Works include 'Billy Maddox Takes His Shot', 'The Curse of Jaxx', and 'Death to the Children ...
Rashad Harrison
Rashad Harrison NONE Rashad Harrison, a skilled writer educated at San Francisco State, Columbia, and NYU, is a recipient of the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship. He's taught creative writing and authored ...
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah 0000000430715306 Trevor Noah, a successful African comedian and host of the award-winning 'The Daily Show', joined the show in 2014. He has multiple comedy specials, including his 9th, 'A...
Derrick Ferguson
Derrick Ferguson NONE "Derrick Ferguson, a Brooklyn native, is an author and podcast co-host with a love for classic pulps, comic books, and pop culture. Married for over 30 years, he enjoys explorin...
Jamison Shea
Jamison Shea NONE Jamison Shea (they/them) is a dark fantasy and horror author, flautist, and linguist hailing from Buffalo, NY and now dwelling in the dark forests of Finland. When they’re not writ...
Tigest Girma
Tigest Girma NONE Tigest Girma is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Dark. She is an Ethiopian writer based in Melbourne, Australia and splits her time between writing and teaching...
Nichole Perkins
Nichole Perkins NONE Nichole Perkins, a writer from Nashville, explores pop culture, race, sex, gender, and relationships. She's a recognized fellow from various institutions and a former co-host of ...
Sawyer Cloud
Sawyer Cloud NONE Sawyer Cloud is a children's book illustrator known for works like Jade Braves the Dark and Under the Mango Tree. A lover of sunny days, music, and art, she resides in Madagascar wi...
Tessa Gratton
Tessa Gratton 0000000121682336 Tessa Gratton, an acclaimed author of adult and YA SFF novels, is known for her dark queer fairy tales and Shakespearean retellings. Her works, translated into 22 langu...
Brenda M. Greene
Brenda M. Greene 000000008095850X Dr. Brenda M. Greene is a respected professor, writer, and scholar, leading the Center for Black Literature and the National Black Writers Conference. She has contri...
Dudley Randall
Dudley Randall 0000000114554651 Dudley Randall (1914-2000), a prominent Detroit poet and publisher, began his career at 13 with his first publication. He founded Broadside Press in 1965, promoting Af...
S.L. Jennings, Naleighna Kai, J.D. Mason, Shakir Rashaan, London St. Charles, Sierra Kay, Karen D. Bradley, Anita L. Roseboro, and MarZé Scott
S.L. Jennings, Naleighna Kai, J.D. Mason, Shakir Rashaan, London St. Charles, Sierra Kay, Karen D. Bradley, Anita L. Roseboro, and MarZé Scott MULTIPLE "S.L. Jennings, Naleighna Kai, J.D. Mason, Shak...
Olympia Scott
Olympia Scott NONE Olympia Scott, a Brooklyn native and English major at Medgar Evers College, is a creative writer and intern at AALBC. She contributes useful content and aims to help other writers ...
Delores Thornton
Delores Thornton NONE Indianapolis author Delores Thornton, celebrated for her novels “Ida Mae” and its sequel, is a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild and the African-American Online ...
Delia Mercado
Delia Mercado NONE Delia Mercado, a NY licensed entrepreneur and mother of three, is pursuing an English degree at Medgar Evers College. Passionate about literature, she aspires to become an author a...
Lynda Johnson
Lynda Johnson NONE Lynda Johnson, co-founder of Go On Girl! Book Club, supported authors from the African diaspora and helped fund scholarships. She also founded Kidstylesource.com, a leading website...
Kalamu ya Salaam
Kalamu ya Salaam 0000000067470753 Kalamu ya Salaam is the founder of NOMMO Literary Society and Runagate Press, leader of the WordBand, and a celebrated poet and educator. Born on March 24, 1947, he ...
Kevin Young
Kevin Young 0000000109530225 Kevin Young, born in 1970, is a renowned poet and teacher influenced by Hughes, Berryman, Dickinson, and Basquiat. A Harvard graduate, Young authored multiple poetry book...
Colette Bancroft
Colette Bancroft NONE Colette Bancroft is the book editor for the Tampa Bay Times since 2007, directs the annual Festival of Reading, and served on the National Book Critics Circle board. She holds E...
Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey 000000012031905X Broderick Steven Harvey, born in 1956, is a renowned comedian who started his career in the mid-1980s. He gained fame in 1994 as the host of “It's Showtime at the Apollo...
Randy Ross, Octavia E. Butler, Erin Aubry Kaplan, Eric Jerome Dickey, and Jervey Tervalon
Randy Ross, Octavia E. Butler, Erin Aubry Kaplan, Eric Jerome Dickey, and Jervey Tervalon MULTIPLE "Explore the works of authors Randy Ross, Wanda Coleman, Stanley Crouch, Gary Phillips, Octavia Butl...
Troy Johnson
Troy Johnson 0000000530602616 “I lead the world's oldest and largest online platform dedicated to books by and about people of African descent.” Troy Demetrius Johnson, founder and President of AALBC....
Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, Nikki Giovanni, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and Gwendolyn Brooks
Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, Nikki Giovanni, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and Gwendolyn Brooks MULTIPLE Prominent authors including Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, Nikki Giovanni, ...
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 000000040525486X Troy Johnson, founder of AALBC.com, is involved with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a NYPL research library and ar...
Tracy Price-Thompson and TaRessa Stovall, with Pearl Cleage, Donna Hill, Parry Brown, Omar Tyree
Tracy Price-Thompson and TaRessa Stovall, with Pearl Cleage, Donna Hill, Parry Brown, Omar Tyree MULTIPLE Explore the works of acclaimed authors Tracy Price-Thompson, TaRessa Stovall, Pearl Cleage, D...