AALBC Search
Lillie Patterson
Lillie Patterson NONE Lillie Patterson, a retired Baltimore teacher, wrote 16 children's books, including biographies, history, and poetry. Known for her vivid characters and moral stories, her works...
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...
Thomas Long
Thomas Long 0000000376122955 Thomas Long, a self-published poet from Baltimore, transitioned to urban fiction, reflecting his experiences growing up in the inner city. His debut novel, Dayvon’s Story...
Christopher Chambers
Christopher Chambers NONE Born and raised in DC, Christopher Chambers is an honors graduate of Princeton University and the University of Baltimore School of Law. He served with the US Justice Depart...
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...
Larry Neal Shorter
Larry Neal Shorter NONE Larry Neal Shorter, also known as “Big Larry”, is a Baltimore-born author who has made a name for himself in the urban literature scene. After moving to Los Angeles and studyi...
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver NONE Elizabeth Murphy Oliver Abney, former city editor and columnist for the Baltimore Afro-American and granddaughter of its founder, has died at 85. A respected journalist a...
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...
Afaa Michael Weaver
Afaa Michael Weaver 0000000028622865 Afaa Michael Weaver, born in 1951, is a former factory worker turned prolific poet, writer, and educator. He founded Seventh Son Press, wrote for numerous promine...
Felicia Pearson
Felicia Pearson 0000000036169140 Felicia “Snoop“ Pearson, known for her chilling role in HBO's The Wire, has overcome significant life challenges. Born in difficult circumstances in East Baltimor...
D. Watkins
D. Watkins NONE D. Watkins is a Salon columnist and University of Baltimore professor, with work published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone and more. He holds a master’s in Education and an MFA i...
R.C. McDonald
R.C. McDonald NONE R.C. McDonald, a Baltimore native, is an accomplished author and entrepreneur. A graduate of Morgan State University, Bowie State University, and the University of Maryland, McDona...
Lauren Francis-Sharma
Lauren Francis-Sharma NONE Lauren Francis Sharma, a New York-born author of Trinidadian descent, pursued law before becoming a writer. Raised in Baltimore, she graduated from the University of Pennsy...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
DuEwa M. Frazier
DuEwa M. Frazier NONE DuEwa Frazier is an accomplished writer, educator, and poet, renowned for her literary contributions and educational initiatives. Born in Brooklyn and raised in St. Louis, she f...
Jay-Z
Jay-Z 0000000118335528 Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, born December 4, 1969, is a highly influential rapper with a net worth over $1B. He founded Roc Nation, an entertainment company launching a new publishin...
Brenda Jones and Krishan Trotman
Brenda Jones and Krishan Trotman MULTIPLE Brenda Jones, renowned for her 15-year role as communications director for Rep. John Lewis and co-author of an NAACP award-winning book, has vast experience ...
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...
Alexandra Morton
Alexandra Morton 0000000078676423 Alexandra Morton, host of The Book Look and 2011 Miss Black America-Baltimore, offers a unique online book review show on NewsOne.com. Featuring the latest book news...
Blair S. Walker
Blair S. Walker NONE Blair S. Walker, a Baltimore native and son of educators, is a former army linguist and journalist for outlets like USA Today, New York Newsday, and the Washington Post. He is th...
Candice Dow
Candice Dow NONE Candice Dow, a Baltimore native and alumna of the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, transitioned from a Senior Software Engineer to a full-time writer. After secur...
Leslie Gray Streeter
Leslie Gray Streeter NONE Leslie Gray Streeter is an award-winning journalist and columnist for the Baltimore Banner. She is also the cohost of the podcast Fine Beats and Cheeses, and a frequent spea...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
John Strausbaugh
John Strausbaugh 0000000067554770 John Strausbaugh, born in 1951, is a renowned author and cultural commentator. Known for his authority on New York City's history, he also hosts The New York Times' ...
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...
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...
Ron Howell
Ron Howell NONE Ron Howell is a seasoned journalist and Associate Professor of Journalism at Brooklyn College with a focus on the Caribbean, Latin America, and NYC. He has written for Newsday, Associ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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-...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
Krishan Trotman
Krishan Trotman NONE Krishan Trotman is Vice President and Publisher of Legacy Lit, the Hachette Book Group imprint she launched in 2020 to publish narrative nonfiction, fiction, and mission-driven ...
Vincent Tirado
Vincent Tirado NONE Vincent Tirado, a non-binary Afro-Latinx from Bronx, holds a Bachelor's in Biology and a Master's in Bioethics. They've contributed short stories to Desert Rose Lit Mag and FIYAH!...
Debra Phillips
Debra Phillips 0000000080337535 Debra Yvette Phillips is a diverse writer, creating works in categories like romance, mainstream, and chick-lit. She also writes under the pseudonym D.Y. Phillips, spe...
Stephanie Stokes Oliver
Stephanie Stokes Oliver NONE Stephanie Stokes Oliver is an accomplished publishing professional, heading SSO Media, serving as a literary scout for Atria Book Group and as author curator for Anguilla...
La Jill Hunt
La Jill Hunt NONE La Jill Hunt, a best-selling author from Mobile, AL, is known for her urban chic-lit novels and contributions to the 'Around the Way Girls' series. Also an erotica writer, her works...
J.M. Benjamin
J.M. Benjamin NONE Allow me to introduce you to one of the hardest working hustlers in urban lit: J.M. Benjamin J.M. Benjamin is a successful, powerful and impacting ...
Tyriek White
Tyriek White 0000000517767141 Tyriek Rashawn White, a Brooklyn-based writer, musician, and educator, serves marginalized communities and leads Lampblack Lit, a literary foundation for Black writers. ...
Prince Shakur
Prince Shakur NONE Prince Shakur is a queer, Jamaican-American freelance journalist and cultural essayist. His work has been featured in prominent publications like Teen Vogue and Electric Lit. Shaku...
Stephannie Solomon
Stephannie Solomon NONE Stephannie Solomon, a Baltimore native and devout Christian, is a minister, author, educator, and founder of Conversations With The King Ministries. Her work spans from local ...
Katie McCabe
Katie McCabe NONE Katie McCabe is an award-winning freelance writer featured in Washingtonian Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, and Reader’s Digest. Her piece on Vivien Thomas was adapted into a Peabody ...
Kwasi Ramsey
Kwasi Ramsey NONE Baltimore-born author Kwasi Ramsey, winner of the CLA Margaret Walker and Red Sparrow Poetry Awards, is inspired by poets like Amiri Baraka and musicians such as Tupac Shakur. Kwasi...
David Miller
David Miller 0000000081542995 David C. Miller, a Baltimore author and Ph.D. candidate, is renowned for his work, “Dare to Be King,” a 52-week curriculum teaching young African American males survival...
Camilla Sucre
Camilla Sucre NONE Camilla Sucre, a first-generation Trinidadian American illustrator, was born in New York and raised in Baltimore. She holds a BFA in illustration from MICA. “Space for Everyone” is...
Joshua Clark Davis
Joshua Clark Davis NONE Joshua Clark Davis is a history professor at the University of Baltimore, specializing in 20th-century American history, capitalism, and social movements. He's also a public a...
Victoria Kennedy
Victoria Kennedy NONE Victoria Kennedy, author of 'Where Love Goes' and debut novel 'Sometimes Love', contributes to the Literary Café Magazine and is the founder of Zora’s Den, a group for Black wo...
A. C. Arthur
A. C. Arthur NONE Baltimore-based author C. Arthur, known for infusing romance with fresh dialogue, intriguing plots, and sensual scenes, captivates readers with her innovative style. Drawing from he...
Gloria Oden
Gloria Oden 0000000382838642 Gloria Catherine Oden (1923-2011) was a renowned poet, editor, and English professor from New York. A Pulitzer Prize nominee for her poetry collection 'Resurrections', sh...
Elijah E. Cummings
Elijah E. Cummings NONE Elijah E. Cummings (1951-2019) was a dedicated public servant and congressman representing Maryland's 7th District. Born and raised in Baltimore, he studied at Howard Universi...
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...
Ron Lacks
Ron Lacks NONE "Ron Lacks, the oldest grandson of Henrietta Lacks, shares a deeply personal memoir in 'Henrietta Lacks The Untold Story', revealing the past 9 years of his family's history. The book ...
Clarence McNair
Clarence McNair NONE Baltimore native and ex-Motown artist, Clarence “KD†McNair, overcame hardships and mental health struggles after losing his record deal. Once part of the group, Prophet Jone...
Eddie C. Brown
Eddie C. Brown 0000000119429622 Eddie Carl Brown, born in 1940, is a renowned investment manager and founder of Brown Capital Management. Recognized as a pioneer of minority-owned investment firms, h...
Derrick Weston
Derrick Weston NONE Derrick Weston is a community organizer, theological educator, and documentary filmmaker. He works for Creation Justice Ministries and co-hosts The Food and Faith Podcast. He live...
Scott Shane
Scott Shane 0000000110670081 Scott Shane is a Pulitzer-winning former reporter for The New York Times and The Baltimore Sun. He's authored two books: 'Dismantling Utopia' about the Soviet Union's col...
John Blake
John Blake 0000000043266547 John Blake is an acclaimed CNN journalist and GLAAD Media Award winner. Recognized by numerous institutions for his work in journalism, he focuses on race, religion, and p...
Michelle V. Agins and Julia Chance
Michelle V. Agins and Julia Chance MULTIPLE Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Michelle V. Agins, renowned for her work with The New York Times and publications like Essence and Sports Illustrate...
Matthew Tyner, Sr.
Matthew Tyner, Sr. MULTIPLE Matthew (Matt) Tyner, Sr. is the author of Fast and Hard: From Addictions to Redemption. He is a man who has reinvented himself and has invested his second chance at life...
Rudolph Lewis
Rudolph Lewis NONE Rudolph Lewis is an author and the Editor and Founder of ChickenBones: A Journal one of the webs most importsant and oldest websites Rudolph Lewis (born 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland...
Treasure Blue
Treasure Blue NONE Treasure Blue is an Essence Magazine best selling author. A former fire inspector with the New York City Fire Department, he is also winner of the Black Issue Book Reviews Urba...
Delores Lowe Friedman
Delores Lowe Friedman NONE Brooklyn-born Delores Lowe Friedman, a retired professor from the City University of New York, is an advocate for literacy and equity in education. She's authored education...
Sean Anderson
Sean Anderson 0000000078343215 Sean Anderson, son of Jamaican immigrants, is a New York-based writer, educator, and youth advocate. His works reflect his unique experiences growing up in 80s NYC and ...
Randall Woodfin
Randall Woodfin NONE Randall Woodfin worked at City Hall (in jobs for the mayor and the city council) and for the Jefferson County Committee on Economic Opportunity, attended Cumberland School of Law...
Emily Raboteau
Emily Raboteau 0000000036573661 Emily Raboteau, author of 'The Professor’s Daughter' and 'Searching for Zion,' is an award-winning writer renowned for her fiction and essays. She has received numerou...
Mai Sennaar
Mai Sennaar NONE Mai Sennaar is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. The Smithsonian Affiliate Museum of the African Diaspora, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, and the Class...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 “...
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...
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...
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....
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'...
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...
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...
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...