AALBC Search
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...
Beauty Bragg
Beauty Bragg 0000000125620829 Beauty Bragg is a Professor of African American Literature at Georgia College with a BA from USC and a MA and Ph.D from UT Austin. She authored a book exploring black wo...
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...
Alix Delinois
Alix Delinois NONE Alix Delinois, a Harlem-based fine artist and art teacher, was born in Haiti. He has illustrated four children's books penned by award-winning authors like Walter Dean Myers, Edwid...
Melanie S. Hatter
Melanie S. Hatter NONE Melanie S. Hatter, award-winning author of “Malawi’s Sisters” and “The Color of My Soul”, also penned the short fiction collection “Let No One Weep for Me.” She's actively enga...
Nadine Pinede
Nadine Pinede NONE Nadine Pinede is a poet, author, editor, translator, and education consultant. She has an MFA in fiction and poetry and holds a PhD from Indiana University. Nadine Pinede, PhD, is ...
Shannon Wright
Shannon Wright 0000000049194273 Shannon Wright, based in Richmond, Virginia, is an illustrator and cartoonist known for her work on books like “My Mommy Medicine” and “Twins.” She also designs cover ...
Itah Sadu
Itah Sadu NONE Itah Sadu, an award-winning author and bookstore owner, is known for sharing diverse oral traditions and creating youth programs. She's a founder of several initiatives like the Emanci...
Everett Hoagland
Everett Hoagland NONE Everett Hoagland, a Philadelphia-born poet, professor, and activist, is renowned for his contributions to African American literature. A significant literary figure, he has nume...
Dinah Johnson
Dinah Johnson NONE Dinah Johnson is a renowned author in children's literature, particularly in African American storytelling. Her books, which include titles like Hair Dance! and Sitting Pretty, cel...
Fenton Johnson
Fenton Johnson 0000000038623095 Fenton Johnson (1888-1958) was an African American poet, essayist, and editor who significantly contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. His work, including his well-kno...
Candice Carty-Williams
Candice Carty-Williams 0000000501732761 Candice Carty-Williams, born in 1989, is a successful senior marketing executive at Vintage and creator of the Guardian and 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize. ...
Jeffrey Allen Tucker
Jeffrey Allen Tucker 0000000081840116 Jeffrey Allen Tucker, an associate professor in the Department of English at the University of Rochester, is known for his works on race and identity, including ...
Pamela C. Rice
Pamela C. Rice NONE Pamela C. Rice is an acclaimed children's author and illustrator with over 25 books to her credit. Notable for her artistic collaborations and warm illustrations, Rice's works dra...
Miguel Algarin
Miguel Algarin 0000000108989771 Miguel Algarin, a key figure of the Nuyorican movement and founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, has significantly contributed to Puerto Rican literature and American a...
Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka 0000000122837862 Winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature Wole Soyinka, born July 13, 1934, is the first Black Nobel Laureate in Literature, awarded in 1986 for his work that fashions...
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 ...
Zelda Lockhart
Zelda Lockhart 0000000053635692 Zelda Lockhart, Associate Professor of Creative Writing and African American Literature at North Carolina Central University, is a distinguished author and educator. K...
Anela Malik
Anela Malik NONE Anela Malik is an author, creator, and host whose storytelling feeds both minds and hearts. She writes, films, and speaks about food, travel, culture, and identity through an unflin...
Claude Atcho
Claude Atcho NONE Claude Atcho, a pastor based in Charlottesville, VA, is a respected voice in theology, culture, and literature. He holds graduate degrees in English Literature and Theological Studi...
Ama Ata Aidoo
Ama Ata Aidoo 0000000108626567 Ama Ata Aidoo was a celebrated Ghanaian author, poet, and playwright, recognized for her significant contributions to African literature. Her works, including Our Siste...
Calvin C. Hernton
Calvin C. Hernton 0000000082664863 Calvin Coolidge Hernton, a pivotal figure in the Black Arts Movement, was a renowned poet, novelist, and social critic known for his exploration of race and sexuali...
Cebo Campbell
Cebo Campbell NONE Cebo Campbell is an award-winning author, poet, and creative director based in Brooklyn, NY. Known for his distinctive voice in contemporary literature, he's also the co-founder an...
Simone A. James Alexander
Simone A. James Alexander 0000000109111143 Simone A. James Alexander is a distinguished professor, author, and researcher. Born in Guyana, she studied in Guyana, Russia, and the US, earning degrees i...
J. Michael Dash
J. Michael Dash 0000000081152794 Professor Jean Michael Dash (1948-2019) was a renowned scholar of Francophone Caribbean literature. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, and educated at the University of the...
Faye Childs
Faye Childs NONE Faye Childs, born 1956, was a literary agent committed to promoting Black literature. She founded the Black Board Bestsellers list, a platform that increased visibility for Black aut...
Lisa Allen-Agostini
Lisa Allen-Agostini 0000000072635073 Lisa Allen-Agostini is a Trinidadian author and journalist known for her impactful work in Caribbean literature and social issues advocacy. Her novels, poetry, an...
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...
Shirley Neal
Shirley Neal NONE Shirley Neal is a renowned journalist, author, and documentarian specializing in Pop Culture, Africa, and Black Identity. Noted for her Forbes Africa cover story on Oprah Winfrey, s...
George Lamming
George Lamming 0000000114972132 George William Lamming (1927-2022) was a renowned Barbadian novelist and critic, celebrated for his exploration of colonialism and identity in the 20th century Caribbe...
Lynda Koolish
Lynda Koolish NONE Lynda Koolish, a photographer and literature scholar, captures the essence of writers she admires through her deeply collaborative and personal work. Her artistry involves paying a...
Jervette R. Ward
Jervette R. Ward NONE Dr. Jervette R. Ward is an English Associate Professor at Mississippi State University, editor, former journalist, and public relations professional. She specializes in American...
LaShawnda Jones
LaShawnda Jones NONE LaShawnda Jones is an independent author and publisher at Spirit Harvest Publishing, known for her focus on spiritual growth and social justice. She is a national speaker on self...
Charif Shanahan
Charif Shanahan 0000000495528149 Charif Shanahan is a renowned poet celebrated for his works on themes like mixed-race identity, queer desire, and societal impact. Known for his reflective style, his...
Aileen Muhammad
Aileen Muhammad NONE Aileen Muhammad, born in 1950, is a notable poet and author from Philadelphia. Her poetry appeared in Journal of Black Poetry and Muhammad Speaks in the 1960s. She graduated from...
Sheila L. Jackson
Sheila L. Jackson NONE Sheila L. Jackson, an author, inspirational speaker, and teacher from Shreveport, Louisiana, empowers women through God’s word. As a clinical laboratory scientist, published an...
Dana Kaye
Dana Kaye NONE Dana Kaye, owner of Kaye Publicity Inc., is a PR expert and author with a background in fiction writing. Renowned for her industry insight and innovative ideas, she frequently speaks o...
Yasmin Shiraz
Yasmin Shiraz NONE Yasmin Shiraz is an author, producer, and motivational speaker renowned for her “Blueprint” empowerment series and thought-provoking documentaries. She frequently speaks at educati...
Karima Mariama-Arthur
Karima Mariama-Arthur NONE Karima Mariama-Arthur, CEO of WordSmithRapport, specializes in leadership development, complex communication, and performance management. A trusted advisor globally, she of...
Nicole Tadgell
Nicole Tadgell 0000000038118670 Nicole Tadgell is a renowned watercolor artist and art director with over 20 years of experience. Known for her award-winning children's books, she also leads art work...
Lisa Jones Johnson
Lisa Jones Johnson NONE Lisa Jones Johnson is a Harvard-educated attorney, author, and CEO of NextGen Media Group. She launched a global social media platform and authored the award-nominated novel, ...
Gerren Liles
Gerren Liles NONE Gerren Liles, a Morgan State University graduate and poet, uses his work to promote literacy and self-empowerment among black youth. A finalist for MTV's Real World: Hawaii, his poe...
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...
Shafika Burke
Shafika Burke NONE Shafika Burke, a 4th year English major at Medgar Evers College, was raised in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Originally interested in accounting, her passion shifted to literatur...
Kathryn M. Johnson
Kathryn M. Johnson NONE Compiler of “The Two Foot Shelf of Negro Literature” Kathryn Magnolia Johnson, born in the Jim Crow Era, was a champion for literacy, education, and social justice....
Nnedi Okorafor
Nnedi Okorafor 0000000037028083 Nnedi Okorafor, Ph.D., is a Nigerian-American novelist known for blending African culture into her creative works. The New York Times has praised her stunning imaginat...
Autumn Allen
Autumn Allen NONE Autumn Allen is a literature educator, senior editor at Barefoot Books, and author known for her contributions to children's literature. She teaches at Harvard Graduate School of Ed...
Veronica Freeman Ellis
Veronica Freeman Ellis NONE Veronica Freeman Ellis is a renowned author known for “Land of the Four Winds” and “AFRO-BETS First Book about Africa.” She has contributed to “Book of Black Heroes: Great...
Francesca Momplaisir
Francesca Momplaisir NONE Haitian-born Francesca Momplaisir is a multilingual literature scholar and writer. Educated at Columbia University, the University of Oxford, and New York University, she sp...
Kei Miller
Kei Miller 000000037003708X Jamaican author, Kei Miller, born in 1978, writes across various genres including novels, essays, and poetry. His works have been shortlisted for several awards and he has...
Abdulrazak Gurnah
Abdulrazak Gurnah 0000000109376264 Winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature Abdulrazak Gurnah, a UK-based novelist and academic, won the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature for his exploration of colo...
African American Literature Book Club
African American Literature Book Club 0000000509856750 The African American Literature Book Club transforms notable forum discussions into articles for increased visibility. The first conversion, “On...
William L. Andrews
William L. Andrews 0000000108957024 William L. Andrews is E. Maynard Adams Professor of English Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has authored, edited, or co-edited more...
Astrid Roemer
Astrid Roemer 0000000109985764 Astrid Heligonda Roemer, born in 1947, is a Surinamese-Dutch cosmopolitan writer. Known for her poetic prose exploring themes of race, gender, and identity, she's a rec...
Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
Mohamed Mbougar Sarr 0000000448978075 Senegalese author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, born in 1990, is celebrated for his contributions to modern African literature. He tackles social, political, and cultura...
Patricia Grannum
Patricia Grannum NONE Patricia Grannum, a Trinidad and Tobago-based illustrator, creates vibrant art inspired by her Caribbean upbringing. She is passionate about representing children of color in li...
Elnathan John
Elnathan John 0000000460091813 Elnathan John is a distinguished Nigerian novelist and satirist known for his short stories, “Bayan Layi” and “Flying,” both shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African...
Ephraim Isaac
Ephraim Isaac 0000000067027946 Ephraim Isaac, founder and first professor of Harvard University's Department of African & Afro-American Studies, is a respected scholar in religious literature. He has...
Henri Lopes
Henri Lopes 0000000081022754 Henri Lopes (1937-2023) was a distinguished writer and politician from the Belgian Congo. He made significant contributions to African literature and served as the Prime ...
Antwone Fisher
Antwone Fisher 0000000120179050 Antwone Fisher is an American screenwriter, poet, lecturer, and best-selling author known for his autobiographical book and film, “Antwone Fisher.” Born in an Ohio pri...
Robert de la Chevotiere
Robert de la Chevotiere NONE Robert de la Chevotiere was a Barbadian poet and educator whose work reflects the rhythms and landscapes of the Caribbean. Active during the mid–20th century, de l...
Mayra Santos-Febres
Mayra Santos-Febres 0000000079758949 Mayra Santos-Febres, born in 1966, is a celebrated Afro-Puerto Rican author, poet, and literature professor. Her work, translated into numerous languages, explore...
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...
Kathleen Cross
Kathleen Cross NONE Kathleen Cross is an author, educator, and speaker focused on racial and cross-cultural communication. Known for her appearances on shows like Oprah and Dr. Phil, she uses her bir...
Vickie M. Stringer
Vickie M. Stringer NONE “I use my life as an example to warn others of the dangers of the drug game.” Vickie Stringer, the Queen of Hip-Hop Literature, has revolutionized the genre throu...
Farai Chideya
Farai Chideya 0000000042490213 Farai Chideya is an award-winning author and journalist with a 20-year career blending media, technology, and diversity. Creator of the Pop and Politics brand, she prod...
Patricia Jabbeh Wesley
Patricia Jabbeh Wesley 0000000046027939 Wesley Receives the 2023 Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Award Dr. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, a Penn State Altoona professor of English, creative writing and Afri...
Jacqueline Alcantara
Jacqueline Alcantara NONE Jacqueline Alcántara is a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s literature. After teaching art and photography, she pursued projects featuring diverse main chara...
Amina Gautier
Amina Gautier 0000000118109950 Dr. Amina Gautier, an award-winning author of three short story collections, is a scholar and professor specializing in African American literature. She teaches in the ...
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison 0000000368636040 Winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature Celebrated American novelist Toni Morrison, born Chloe Ardelia Wofford, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. A profes...
Tananarive Due
Tananarive Due 0000000114453527 “The Queen of Black Horror” Tananarive Due, American Book Award-winning author of nine books, holds a B.S. in Journalism and M.A. in English literature. A s...
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....
C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis 0000000121235691 C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) was a renowned British novelist, poet, academic, and lay theologian. He taught English Literature at Oxford, later becoming the Chair of Medieval a...
Chris Abani
Chris Abani 0000000083877772 Chris Abani, born in Nigeria in 1966, is a renowned author and educator who faced imprisonment for his literary work. After escaping to the US, he published eight books o...
Clarence V. Reynolds
Clarence V. Reynolds NONE Clarence V. Reynolds is an independent editor and journalist, former director of Literary Programs at the Center for Black Literature and editor-in-chief of the Killens Revi...
Jean-Philippe Marcoux
Jean-Philippe Marcoux 0000000108385791 Jean-Philippe Marcoux is a Professor of American Literature at Laval University, specializing in African American literature, postmodernist fiction, poetry, and...
Kamau Brathwaite
Kamau Brathwaite 0000000109373020 Edward Kamau Brathwaite, born in Barbados (1930-2020), was a key voice in Caribbean literature, a professor at NYU, and co-founder of the Caribbean Artists Movement....
Sandra Jackson-Opoku
Sandra Jackson-Opoku 0000000034062374 Sandra Jackson-Opoku is an acclaimed writer with numerous published works on Africana literature and African American studies. She has also taught Literature and...
Jonathan Escoffery
Jonathan Escoffery 0000000513239675 Jonathan Escoffery is an award-winning author, recognized with the 2020 Plimpton Prize for Fiction, a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, and th...
Samuel Selvon
Samuel Selvon 0000000082184421 Trinidad-born author Samuel Selvon (1923-1994) is known for his groundbreaking use of “nation language” in his 1956 novel, The Lonely Londoners. He received two Guggenh...
Ekwueme Michael Thelwell
Ekwueme Michael Thelwell 0000000121414796 Ekwueme Michael Thelwell made a lasting impact in the United States as a writer, activist, and educator. His work spans literature, civil rights, and academi...
Hannah Crafts
Hannah Crafts 0000000057115061 Hannah Bond, known as Hannah Crafts, was an African-American writer and ex-slave who escaped to the North and wrote The Bondwoman’s Narrative. Settling in New Jersey, B...
Julian Mayfield
Julian Mayfield 0000000114504355 Julian Mayfield (1928-1984) was a renowned writer, civil rights activist, and cultural icon. His works explored themes of race and identity, significantly impacting t...
Hoyt Fuller
Hoyt Fuller NONE Hoyt W. Fuller was a key figure in the Black Arts Movement as an editor, educator, critic, and author. He founded the OBAC writers' collective, edited the influential Negro Digest/Bl...
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...
Joylynn M. Jossel
Joylynn M. Jossel NONE Check the “Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business” 2018 Conference presented by Joylynn’s Path To Publishing (September 20 – 22, 2018) Joylynn M. Joss...
Albert French
Albert French 0000000054146305 Albert French, a Vietnam war veteran and former US Marine, turned his distressing war experiences and emotional struggle into powerful memoirs and novels. His works inc...
Christopher M. Rutledge
Christopher M. Rutledge NONE Chris M. Rutledge is a versatile writer and indie filmmaker, best known for his crime dramas and suspense thrillers. With a career spanning from 1997, he made his authori...
Neville Goddard
Neville Goddard 0000000033028836 Neville Goddard (1905-1972) was a renowned metaphysical writer and lecturer from Barbados who moved to NYC to study theater before shifting to metaphysics. Known for ...
Orlando Caicedo
Orlando Caicedo NONE Orlando Caicedo is a Colombian artist recognized for his work in illustration and comics. An Atlanta College of Art alumnus, he won Stan Lee's POW Entertainment/Webtoon comic con...
Hilton Als
Hilton Als 0000000106528066 Congrats to Hilton Als: Winner 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism Hilton Als, an associate professor of writing at Columbia University, is an award-winning author and critic...
Ekua Holmes
Ekua Holmes 0000000451226536 Ekua Holmes is a painter and collage artist who uses various materials to create vibrant, abstract works that convey unity and evoke universal memories. Her ongoing serie...
Jestenia Southerland
Jestenia Southerland NONE Jestenia Southerland, a Delaware-based illustrator, holds an MFA in Illustration from Syracuse University and a BFA from Boston University. Her art, characterized by bright ...
Chante Timothy
Chante Timothy NONE Chante Timothy is an author-illustrator who has always had a sense of wonder about the world and a passion for scientific facts and trivia. Chanté Timothy is an author-illu...
Johnathan Isom
Johnathan Isom NONE Johnathan Isom, a Memphis-based anesthesiologist, turned novelist, was driven to write a book he'd enjoy. Tired of deceit-focused contemporary fiction, he sought to create a diffe...
Karen Lynn Williams
Karen Lynn Williams 0000000063701972 Karen Lynn Williams, born in 1952, is a renowned author of over a dozen children's books, including the acclaimed 'GALIMOTO'. She's also a former Peace Corps volu...
Rosalind Kilkenny McLymont
Rosalind Kilkenny McLymont NONE Rosalind Kilkenny McLymont, editor-in-chief of The Network Journal, is an experienced writer and adviser with over 25 years in global business. She made history as the...
Dorothea Smartt
Dorothea Smartt 0000000035456594 Dorothea Smartt is a London-born poet with Barbadian roots, known for her significant contributions to British culture. As a former Live Artist at London's Institute ...
Stephanie Casher
Stephanie Casher NONE Stephanie Casher is a freelance editor, author of multi-cultural women's fiction, and co-owner of The Pantheon Collective. She holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Cal...
Joe L. Dudley, Sr.
Joe L. Dudley, Sr. MULTIPLE Dr. Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. was a pioneering entrepreneur and founder of Dudley Products Inc., a major Black haircare brand. With his business acumen, he filled a market gap...