AALBC Search
Donna M. Gray-Banks
Donna M. Gray-Banks NONE Donna M. Gray-Banks, founder of F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival, is a successful author known for her suspense erotic trilogy and a guest columnist for various outlets. She hosts tw...
Jael Richardson
Jael Richardson NONE Jael Ealey Richardson is a Toronto-based author and educator with an MFA in Creative Writing. Known for her memoir and children's book, both titled The Stone Thrower, her work re...
Joshua D. Rothman
Joshua D. Rothman 000000003375386X Joshua D. Rothman is a history professor and department chair at the University of Alabama. He's the author of two award-winning books and resides in Birmingham and...
Kwoya Fagin Maples
Kwoya Fagin Maples NONE Kwoya Fagin Maples, a renowned writer from Charleston, South Carolina, teaches creative writing at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. She has an MFA from the University of Alaba...
Toni Blackman
Toni Blackman 0000000036920264 Toni Blackman, an international champion of hip-hop culture, is known for her captivating performances and powerful presence. She's the first hip-hop artist to work as ...
LaKesa Cox
LaKesa Cox NONE LaKesa Cox is an award-winning author and screenwriter with over 20 years of experience. She has published four novels and has contributed to two anthologies. She was acknowledged as ...
Rose Brock
Rose Brock 0000000107888362 Rose Brock, a professor at Sam Houston State University, is renowned for inspiring youth to love books. In addition to her career as a librarian and educator, she co-found...
Zuksiwa Wanner
Zuksiwa Wanner NONE Zukiswa Wanner, born to South African and Zimbabwean parents in Zambia, is a celebrated author known for award-nominated novels like “Men of the South.” As an essayist, she focuse...
Lola Shoneyin
Lola Shoneyin 0000000041835603 Lola Shoneyin is a renowned Nigerian poet and author, best known for her debut novel, “The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives.” Identified as a promising African writer ...
Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay 000000035624500X Ava DuVernay is an award-winning writer, producer, and director in independent film. She founded DVA Media + Marketing and the African-American Film Festival Releasing M...
Darlene Williams
Darlene Williams NONE Darlene Williams is an award-winning businesswoman, adjunct lecturer, bestselling author, and nationally recognized youth and literacy advocate. She serves as President of the ...
Tiffani Quarles-Sanders
Tiffani Quarles-Sanders NONE Tiffani Quarles-Sanders, a Montgomery native, is an acclaimed author of African-American fiction and owner of Hollow Bridge Publishing. Known for her Unthinkable Sins ser...
Carl Gamble
Carl Gamble NONE “There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.” Carl Gamble, a former aviator, author and speaker, shares his inspiring journey from a...
Taylor Byas
Taylor Byas NONE Dr. Taylor Byas, Ph.D. is a Black poet and essayist. Originally from Chicago, she moved to Alabama for six years, where she received both her Bachelor’s degree in English and her Ma...
Salaam Green
Salaam Green NONE Birmingham’s first Poet Laureate Salaam Green is a celebrated storyteller, healing arts practitioner, and the 2024–2026 Birmingham Poet Laureate. She is a native of Gree...
Patricia A. Saunders
Patricia A. Saunders NONE Patricia A. Saunders, an author from Connecticut, now based in San Francisco, began her writing journey after her mother's passing. She released her first book in 2012 and i...
Anika Malone
Anika Malone NONE Anika Malone, author of the acclaimed “10 Minutes Past Too Late”, is celebrated as a fresh voice in contemporary fiction. She has participated in notable book events across the Unit...
Kellie Magnus
Kellie Magnus 0000000114740104 Kellie Magnus is a Jamaican children's author and media writer. An alumna of Harvard and Columbia Universities, she's the Chair of the Kingston Book Festival and serves...
Melica Niccole
Melica Niccole NONE Melica Niccole, a Columbus-native author, poet, and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, has a passion for writing which she uses to explore various subjects. She created an annua...
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...
justin a. reynolds
justin a. reynolds NONE Justin A. Reynolds is an acclaimed author renowned for his debut YA novel, “Opposite of Always,” and second novel “Early Departures.” His work includes a Marvel graphic novel ...
David Washington
David Washington NONE Dr. David Washington decision to write a graphic novel stemmed from his dissatisfaction with the lack of diversity in the superhero genre. He hoped to provide his children with ...
Esther Phillips
Esther Phillips 0000000073657506 Esther Phillips, founder of The Bim Literary Festival & Book Fair and editor of Bim magazine, is a highly decorated poet with an MFA in Creative Writing. She's won pr...
Thando Mgqolozana
Thando Mgqolozana 0000000071220474 Thando Mgqolozana, born in 1983, is a renowned South African novelist and Mandela Rhodes Scholar. He authored novels like 'Hear Me Alone' and 'Unimportance' and co-...
Vashti Harrison
Vashti Harrison 0000000476987403 Vashti Harrison, born in 1988, is a Virginia-based author, illustrator, and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. She has degrees in Media Studies, Studio Art, F...
K. Reshay
K. Reshay NONE K. Reshay is a versatile author, poet, and playwright, known for her thought-provoking book series 'Appearances'. She is the Founder of Me Time Book Club, aimed at promoting literacy a...
Alberto O. Cappas
Alberto O. Cappas NONE Alberto O. Cappas, a Puerto Rican-born poet, writer, and community activist, is known for his work in economic development, literature, and advocacy in New York and Buffalo. He...
Cheryl Clarke
Cheryl Clarke 0000000383377198 Cheryl L. Clarke, born in 1947, is a lesbian poet, essayist, and a Black feminist activist. Her work emphasizes African-American women's literature and black lesbian fe...
Matthew A. Cherry
Matthew A. Cherry 0000000500418922 Former NFL wide receiver, Matthew A. Cherry, transitioned into filmmaking after his retirement in 2007. He's known for directing over 20 music videos, his feature f...
Louis Edwards
Louis Edwards 0000000028382400 Louis Edwards, a Guggenheim Fellowship and Whiting Award-winning author, has written four novels including Ramadan Ramsey and Ten Seconds. Louisiana-born Edwards is als...
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 ...
Regie Gibson
Regie Gibson NONE Regie Gibson is a poet, songwriter, author, workshop facilitator, and educator. Regie has performed, taught, and lectured at schools, universities, theaters and various other ve...
Charly Palmer
Charly Palmer 0000000036783693 Charly “Carlos” Palmer is a renowned artist, illustrator, and educator. Born in Alabama and trained in Chicago, he's famous for running a successful design studio and t...
Patricia Storace
Patricia Storace 0000000034695024 Patricia Storace, born in Chicago and raised in Alabama, is an award-winning author educated at Columbia University and Cambridge. She has written a travel memoir, a...
Anthony Ray Hinton
Anthony Ray Hinton NONE Anthony Ray Hinton, wrongfully sentenced to death row for 28 years, now advocates for prison reform and faith following his 2015 release. Living in Alabama, his book was chose...
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...
J. Dillard
J. Dillard NONE Master barber and certified consultant, Barberpreneur, began his professional career in 1999 and owns a shop in Alabama. He provides personal barber services, traveling with clients,...
Albert Murray
Albert Murray 0000000083695821 Albert L. Murray (1916-2013) was a respected critic, novelist, and biographer. Born in Alabama, he divided his time between teaching and serving in the air force before...
John Lewis
John Lewis 0000000114586629 Born to sharecroppers, John Robert Lewis became a key figure in the US Civil Rights Movement. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and a speaker at...
Robin D. G. Kelley
Robin D. G. Kelley 0000000109206628 Robin D. G. Kelley is a History professor at UCLA and author of notable books like Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination and Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Commun...
Yaa Gyasi
Yaa Gyasi 0000000459492214 Yaa Gyasi, a Ghana-born author raised in Alabama, is an Iowa Writers' Workshop graduate. Known for her short stories in African American Review and Callaloo, she debuted he...
Vicki L. Hubbard
Vicki L. Hubbard NONE Vicki L. Hubbard, a Montgomery Alabama native, is a published author inspired by motherhood and life's struggles and successes. Having graduated from Apollo College as a Compute...
Doris Jean Austin
Doris Jean Austin 0000000084312407 Doris Jean Austin (1949-1994) was an accomplished journalist from Mobile, Alabama, known for her contributions to Essence magazine and her novel, “After the Garden”...
Randi Pink
Randi Pink NONE Randi Pink, a Southern-raised author, debuted with “Into White.” She resides in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband and two rescue dogs, and works for National Public Radio. Randi Pi...
Nana Nkweti
Nana Nkweti NONE Nana Nkweti, a Caine Prize finalist and Iowa Writers' Workshop alumna, is renowned for her work that has earned fellowships from prestigious institutions. She is currently an English...
Jazz Taylor
Jazz Taylor NONE Jazz Taylor, a writer and receptionist from Alabama, is the author of 'Meow or Never'. A huge cat fan, she enjoys cooking shows and lives with her humorous grandmother. Jazz Taylor i...
Jevon Bolden
Jevon Bolden NONE Jevon Bolden, a Florida-based editor and writer, specializes in creating educational books for children and adults. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of A...
Bonnie J. Glover
Bonnie J. Glover NONE Born in Alabama and raised in Brooklyn, Bonnie J. Glover is a graduate of Florida A&M University and Stetson University College of Law. She has worked for the Housing Authority ...
Angela Benson
Angela Benson NONE Dr. Angela Benson is a prolific author with 14 novels and various other works published by top-tier publishers. She holds a doctorate in instructional technology from the Universit...
Rena Barron
Rena Barron NONE Alabama-born author Rena Barron, known for her imaginative stories of magic and adventure, started her writing journey with poems in middle school, progressing to novels in high scho...
Raymond A. Winbush
Raymond A. Winbush NONE Raymond A. Winbush, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University, is a psychology graduate from Oakwood College and University of Chicago. He...
C.T. Vivian
C.T. Vivian 0000000114902644 Dr. C.T. Vivian was a civil rights leader, known for working with Martin Luther King Jr., and for developing VISION, an educational program that helped 700 Alabama studen...
Marc Lacy
Marc Lacy NONE Marc Lacy, a graduate from Alabama A&M University, renowned poet, author, and CEO of AVO Publishing, is known for his national literary performances and spoken word venues. He's also a...
Terah Shelton Harris
Terah Shelton Harris NONE Terah Shelton Harris is an Alabama-based librarian and freelance writer whose work features in various publications. From Illinois originally, the world traveler who has exp...
Steven L. Reed
Steven L. Reed NONE Steven L. Reed, the first Black Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, was also the youngest and first Black probate judge. He holds a BA from Morehouse College and an MBA from Vanderbilt ...
Tanisia Moore
Tanisia Moore NONE Tanisia “Tee” Moore is an author who uses her writing to inspire and empower. Her picture books 'I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams' and 'When Black Girls Dream Big' promote strengt...
Kelsey Norris
Kelsey Norris NONE Kelsey Norris is a writer and editor from Alabama. Her debut story collection, House Gone Quiet, is a finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Kelsey Norris is a ...
Ravi Howard
Ravi Howard NONE Ravi Howard is an award-winning author and television producer, known for his novel “Like Trees, Walking.” A recipient of the 2001 Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award and the 200...
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin NONE Nancy Churnin is a celebrated children's book author, known for inspiring kids to be heroes through her stories. She's a Eureka Silver Award winner and has been recognized with the...
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...
Donna Drew Sawyer
Donna Drew Sawyer NONE Donna Drew Sawyer, author of Provenance, has a rich background in arts administration, advertising, and public relations. A New Yorker with over three decades of experience in ...
Breena Clarke and Amy Newmark
Breena Clarke and Amy Newmark MULTIPLE Amy Newmark is the author, editor, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Breena Clarke, a distinguished Black scholar and novelist, penned the ...
Ayana Mathis
Ayana Mathis 0000000367812022 Ayana Mathis, an Iowa Writers' Workshop graduate and Michener-Copernicus Fellowship recipient, is best known for her NYT best-selling novel 'The Twelve Tribes of Hattie'...
Sharon M. Draper
Sharon M. Draper 0000000374578086 Sharon M. Draper, acclaimed author of the Sassy series and numerous teen novels, is a New York Times bestseller and multiple Coretta Scott King Award winner. A forme...
Shane W. Evans
Shane W. Evans 0000000038504360 Shane Evans is a renowned illustrator, artist and designer whose work has been recognized by The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and The Orbis Pictus Award. His illustrat...
Olive Senior
Olive Senior 0000000110714769 Jamaican-born Olive Senior is an accomplished scholar, journalist, and editor. Educated at Carleton University and the Thomson Foundation, she's held roles at the Daily ...
V. Brooks Dunbar
V. Brooks Dunbar NONE Dr. V. Brooks Dunbar is a renowned author, speaker, and leadership consultant. Known as the Confidence Commander, she empowers individuals and organizations to unlock their pote...
Gwen Richardson
Gwen Richardson NONE Gwen Richardson, co-founder of Cushcity.com, the largest African-American internet retailer, is a successful entrepreneur and writer with a marketing degree from Georgetown Unive...
Tamiya Davis
Tamiya Davis NONE Tamiya Davis, a Virginia native, is a longshoreman, fashion entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker. Her achievements include running a rights restoration chapter, owning a f...
Jacquelin Thomas
Jacquelin Thomas NONE Award-winning author Jacquelin Thomas has published over 50 titles across romance, women’s fiction, inspirational, and young adult genres. She's received multiple awards includi...
Yani
Yani 0000000118166410 Yani, an Amazon Best Selling Author from Philadelphia, is renowned for her six novels and unique storytelling style. She's celebrated in genres like African American Fiction-Ur...
Panashe Chigumadzi
Panashe Chigumadzi 0000000454298041 Panashe Chigumadzi is an acclaimed Zimbabwean novelist and essayist, known for her award-winning debut novel, Sweet Medicine. A prominent voice in African literatu...
Davida Siwisa James
Davida Siwisa James NONE Davida Siwisa James, a globe-trotting author with roots in Philly and Harlem, has experience as a freelance journalist and has several published works, including an award-win...
Suheir Hammad
Suheir Hammad 0000000084052510 Suheir Hammad, born October 25, 1973, is a Palestinian-American poet, author, performer, and activist renowned for her work in the spoken-word scene. She's had success ...
Kadija Sesay
Kadija Sesay NONE Kadija George is a renowned literary activist, poet, and publisher of Sierra Leonean descent. She's known for her debut poetry collection, Irki, and has edited numerous anthologies....
Kevin Coval
Kevin Coval 0000000053723529 Kevin Coval, author of ALA “Book of the Year†finalist Slingshots: A Hip-Hop Poetica, is the Artistic Director of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival...
Patricia Spears Jones
Patricia Spears Jones 0000000031494569 Patricia Spears Jones, born in Arkansas, is the 2024 New York State Poet Laureate, a Jackson Poetry Prize laureate, and a cultural activist. An esteemed poet, p...
Wanjiku Wa Ngugi
Wanjiku Wa Ngugi NONE Wanjikũ Wa Ngũgĩ, author of 'The Fall of Saints', is a former director of the Helsinki African Film Festival. Her short stories and essays are featured in various publications i...
Colin Channer
Colin Channer 0000000066632589 Colin Channer, born in Jamaica, is a celebrated author and editor known for his poetry collection 'Providential' and bestselling novel 'Waiting in Vain'. He's also the ...
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor 0000000049060048 Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor is a renowned Kenyan writer, recognized for her contribution to literature and arts in Kenya. She won the 2003 Caine Prize for her story “...
Peter Kalu
Peter Kalu NONE Peter Kalu is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, and playwright from the UK. He began his writing career at Manchester's Moss Side Write black writers workshop and has produced ei...
Justin Phillip Reed
Justin Phillip Reed 0000000497688533 Justin Phillip Reed is a South Carolina-born author, known for his work in various publications and his MFA in poetry from Washington University. Recognized for h...
Hannibal B. Johnson
Hannibal B. Johnson NONE Harvard Law graduate Hannibal B. Johnson is an esteemed author, attorney, and consultant specializing in diversity and human relations. He's taught at prestigious universitie...
Glodean Champion
Glodean Champion NONE Glodean Champion is a multifaceted artist, educator, and coach based in Monterey, CA. She is a published author, whose work explores themes of sexuality, gender, and African Ame...
January Gill O’Neil
January Gill O’Neil NONE January Gill O’Neil, author of Rewilding, Misery Islands, and Underlife, is a former executive director of Massachusetts Poetry Festival and ex-Grisham Writer-in-Residence. C...
Stacy Spikes
Stacy Spikes NONE Stacy Spikes, co-founder of MoviePass and founder of Urbanworld Film Festival, is an award-winning entrepreneur and former film marketing executive. Recognized as one of the most in...
Willard Jenkins
Willard Jenkins 0000000114808113 Willard Jenkins, born in 1949, is an influential figure in jazz, serving as Artistic Director of the DC Jazz Festival, arts consultant, producer, educator, and journa...
Keela Buford
Keela Buford NONE Keela Buford, a content strategist and author of 'Pride, and Joy,' is recognized in film and screenplay festival circuits. Her work ranges from science fiction to contemporary, with...
Greg Garrett
Greg Garrett 0000000046223577 Greg Garrett is a recognized voice on religion and culture in America, with work featured across major media outlets. He is the co-founder of the Long Long Way Film Fest...
William Byrd
William Byrd 0000000109367704 Dr. William “Super” Byrd, a Newark native, is an acclaimed author and educator specializing in Sports Education. A holder of multiple degrees and professional licenses, ...
Imani Perry
Imani Perry 0000000118845093 Winner 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction Imani Perry is a Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, author of five books, and holds degrees from...
Dionne Brand
Dionne Brand 0000000109071487 “The best poetry jolts and shocks, it mines language for what we have not seen, have not heard.” Dionne Brand is an acclaimed poet and novelist, known for win...
Askhari Johnson Hodari
Askhari Johnson Hodari NONE Askhari Johnson Hodari, Ph.D. is a Black/Africana Studies practitioner, author, and founder of de Griot Space, an online workshop for Black writers. With a B.A. from Spelm...
Linda Janet Holmes
Linda Janet Holmes 0000000036823341 Linda Janet Holmes is an accomplished writer, scholar, and women's health activist. Known for her work on African American midwifery practices, she has also author...
Vincent Brown
Vincent Brown 0000000114674784 Vincent Brown is the Charles Warren Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He is the author of Tacky...
Pearl Cleage
Pearl Cleage 0000000031900424 “The purpose of my writing, often, is to express the point where racism and sexism meet.” Pearl Cleage, born in 1948, is an acclaimed playwright, journalist, ...
Thom S. Rainer
Thom S. Rainer 0000000083290568 Thom S. Rainer is the CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, an author of over two dozen books, and a former dean at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also le...
Hester Bass
Hester Bass NONE Hester Bass, an award-winning author, was influenced by her upbringing near Atlanta and time in Mississippi. Her diverse experiences, from singing in a rock band to appearing on game...
Randall Horton
Randall Horton 0000000048702491 Award-winning author Randall Horton, known for his poetry collections and memoir, is a recipient of the Bea Gonzalez Poetry Award, GLCA New Writers Award, and a Nation...
Mark Allen Boone
Mark Allen Boone NONE Mark Allen Boone, born in 1951, is a former teacher and accomplished editor with over 30 years of experience. He authored two novels and served as the fiction editor of AIM Quar...