AALBC Search
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 ...
International Human Rights Association of American Minorities
International Human Rights Association of American Minorities NONE IHRAAM, an international NGO with UN consultative status, facilitates the access of individuals and unrepresented groups to human ri...
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...
Julie Iromuanya
Julie Iromuanya NONE Julie Iromuanya was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction, the Etisalat Prize for Literature, and the National Book Critics Cir...
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...
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....
Masande Ntshanga
Masande Ntshanga 0000000450507336 Masande Ntshanga, winner of the 2013 PEN International New Voices Award and 2015 Caine Prize Finalist, is an accomplished writer and UCT graduate. He has written for...
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 ...
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...
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...
Sefi Atta
Sefi Atta 0000000078515961 Sefi Atta, a Nigerian-born author, educated in Nigeria, England, and the U.S., is a former accountant turned award-winning writer. Her works have appeared in multiple journ...
Morowa Yejide
Morowa Yejide 0000000418442034 Morowa Yejidé, a Washington, DC native, is an acclaimed author recognized for her novel 'Time of the Locust'. A PEN/Bellwether and PEN/Bingham finalist, and NAACP Imag...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 “...
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...
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...
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 ...
Cheryl Willis Hudson
Cheryl Willis Hudson 0000000037209335 Cheryl Willis Hudson, editorial director of Just Us Books, focuses on publishing Black interest books for children. Co-founder of the company in 1988, she's a re...
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...
Percival Everett
Percival Everett 0000000115807163 Percival Everett, a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California, has authored over 20 books, including notable works such as 'Erasure...
Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl
Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl NONE Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl, born in the USA to Ugandan parents, is a technical writer and editor for international organizations like the UN and the World Bank. With degre...
Mitchell S. Jackson
Mitchell S. Jackson 0000000409614826 Mitchell S. Jackson Awarded the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing Mitchell S. Jackson is an acclaimed author and educator, known for his debut novel “The Resi...
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...
Dimitry Elias Leger
Dimitry Elias Leger NONE Dimitry Elias Léger, born in Haiti, is a former editor and writer for The Source, Fortune, and MTV News, with work in The New York Times and The Washington Post. A UN adviso...
Peggy M. Fisher
Peggy M. Fisher NONE Peggy M. Fisher, a former educator and counselor with the Philadelphia public school system, is an accomplished author recognized for her literary excellence. A retired Army Nurs...
Karen Grigsby Bates
Karen Grigsby Bates NONE Karen Grigsby Bates is an LA-based NPR News correspondent, known for her work on All Things Considered and The Tavis Smiley Show. She has significantly expanded the show's co...
Teju Cole
Teju Cole 0000000077460567 Teju Cole, an acclaimed writer, art historian, and photographer, serves as the Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College and is a photography critic for the New Yor...
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...
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...
Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi
Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi NONE "Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi, born in Ibadan, Nigeria, is an accomplished author and professor. A PEN/Studzinski Award finalist, her work has been published in Ploughshares a...
Tiffany L. Warren
Tiffany L. Warren NONE Tiffany L. Warren is a bestselling author, playwright, and songwriter. She's written over 15 novels, including two YA series under the pen name Nikki Carter. Alongside her husb...
Lynn Nottage
Lynn Nottage 0000000080050112 Congrats to Lynn Nottage: Winner 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Lynn Nottage, a distinguished playwright and lecturer, is celebrated for her outstanding plays and awarded ...
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 ...
Regina Brooks
Regina Brooks NONE Regina Brooks, founder and president of Serendipity Literary Agency LLC, combines expertise in engineering and literature with over a decade in senior publishing roles. A Howard Un...
Jayne Cortez
Jayne Cortez 0000000080983190 Jayne Cortez (1936-2012) was a celebrated poet and performance artist, known for her political and surrealistic lyricism. She authored eleven books of poetry and present...
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 ...
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 ...
Al Young
Al Young 0000000063058737 Al Young, born in 1939, is a respected author and poet from Mississippi. He attended the University of Michigan before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area and graduating fr...
Roslyn Carrington
Roslyn Carrington NONE Roslyn Carringtongton is a Trinidadian PR professional and writer known for her literary novel, “A Thirst for Rain.” She also writes multicultural romances as Simona Taylor. A ...
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey 0000000114722280 Mariah Carey is an author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, producer, and multiple award-winning artist and songwriter. She is the best-selling female artist of all time w...
David Diop
David Diop 0000000381649161 David Diop, born in 1966, is a renowned French-Senegalese author known for his historical fiction. His novel “At Night All Blood is Black” won the 2021 International Booke...
Natasha Moulton-Levy
Natasha Moulton-Levy NONE Natasha Moulton-Levy, a mother and problem-solver, instills a global perspective in her children, helping them become successful global citizens. An alumna of the College of...
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...
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...
Millicent Graham
Millicent Graham NONE Millicent A. A. Graham, born in 1974, is a Jamaican poet known for her collections 'The Damp In Things' (2009) and 'The Way Home' (2014). She was a fellow at the Bread Loaf Writ...
Christine List
Christine List NONE Christine List, Ph.D. from Northwestern University, is an award-winning filmmaker recognized globally. She has received numerous grants, served as a media grant evaluator and juri...
Warsan Shire
Warsan Shire 0000000401939810 Warsan Shire, a Somali British writer and poet, is renowned for her chapbooks, and for winning the inaugural Brunel International African Poetry Prize. She was London's ...
Nuruddin Farah
Nuruddin Farah 0000000121483513 Nuruddin Farah, born 1945 in Somalia, is an acclaimed novelist known for works like “From a Crooked Rib” and “Blood in the Sun” trilogy. His books, translated into 17 ...
Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead 0000000109128041 Congrats to Colson Whitehead: Winner 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Colson Whitehead, born in 1969, is an acclaimed writer who began his career at the Village Voice....
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 ...
Kuwana Haulsey
Kuwana Haulsey NONE Kuwana Haulsey is an award-nominated author, educator, and actress. Born in NYC, she graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University in journalism. Haulsey has led seminars at P...
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...
Rosemari Mealy
Rosemari Mealy NONE Rosemari Mealy, J.D., Ph.D., is a renowned professor at CUNY, recognized for her community involvement and international human rights activism. She has worked in Cuba, supporting ...
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...
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...
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 ...
Jean “Binta” Breeze
Jean “Binta” Breeze 0000000025335932 Jean “Binta” Breeze (1956–2021) was a renowned Jamaican poet who published eight books and performed globally. She first gained recognition in 1985 at the Inter...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
Cerece Rennie Murphy
Cerece Rennie Murphy NONE Cerece Rennie Murphy, a science fiction enthusiast since age seven, has a rich background in social work and international relations. She transitioned into creative writing ...
Clarence Lusane
Clarence Lusane 0000000109374330 Dr. Clarence Lusane, a respected scholar and activist, specializes in human rights, global race relations, U.S. politics, and international relations. Born in Detroit...
William W. Sales Jr.
William W. Sales Jr. NONE William W. Sales, Jr., an Associate Professor at Seton Hall University, is an acknowledged expert on Malcolm X, authoring two books and numerous articles on the subject. A v...
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...
Laura Warrell
Laura Warrell NONE Laura Warrell, a Vermont College of Fine Arts graduate, is an accomplished writer and educator. She's attended prestigious residencies and taught Creative Writing and Literature in...
Mildred D. Taylor
Mildred D. Taylor 0000000382722105 Mildred DeLois Taylor, born September 13, 1943, is a renowned author known for her award-winning novels like 'The Road to Memphis' and 'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry...
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...
Toi Derricotte
Toi Derricotte 0000000083980729 “My skin causes certain problems continuously, problems that open the issue of racism over and over like a wound.” Toi Derricotte is an award-winning poet a...
David Bradley
David Bradley 0000000114789119 David Bradley is a creative writing professor at the University of Oregon. His acclaimed novel, The Chaneysville Incident, won the PEN/Faulkner Award and was a National...
Shelia M. Goss
Shelia M. Goss NONE Shelia M. Goss is a national best-selling author of over 20 novels in various genres, including Christian fiction and romance. Known for her easy, flowing prose, she has been reco...
Johanna Sparrow
Johanna Sparrow NONE “Sometimes your tragedy is your best feature.” Antoinette M. Watkins, pen name Johanna Sparrow, is an experienced author of over 31 books ranging from children's liter...
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa NONE Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa, born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York, is a renowned writer and educator. Her work, influenced by her Puerto Rican heritage and experiences, i...
Danielle Evans
Danielle Evans NONE Danielle Valore Evans, award-winning author of 'Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self,' is a celebrated figure in literature. Honored with the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and Nation...
Shannon Sanders
Shannon Sanders NONE Shannon Sanders is a Washington, DC-based author. Her fiction has been featured in various publications and won the 2020 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers....
Pamela Mariva Mshana
Pamela Mariva Mshana NONE Pamela Mariva Mshana, PhD, is an acclaimed playwright, author, and educator. Known for her play, Ebony, and her work at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, she has receive...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
Nisi Shawl
Nisi Shawl 0000000038176352 Nisi Shawl is a renowned author, critic, and editor, celebrated for their diverse and intersectional speculative fiction, including the acclaimed novel Everfair. Known for...
William Gardner Smith
William Gardner Smith 0000000063221434 Influential writer and journalist William Gardner Smith (1927–1974) used his work to highlight racial inequality in America. His novels, such as The Stone Fac...
Carrolyn Pichet
Carrolyn Pichet NONE Carrolyn Pichet is a Washington native with a diverse career spanning from the Parole Board to the FBI. She holds degrees from Howard University and the University of Maryland an...
Shaun Randol
Shaun Randol NONE Shaun Randol, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Mantle, co-editor of Gambit: Newer African Writing. He's a Fellow at the World Policy Institute, New York, and a member of the Natio...
Abi Daré
Abi Daré 0000000496183410 Abi Daré, a Nigerian-born author based in the UK, has studied law, International Project Management, and Creative Writing. She won the Bath Novel Award in 2018 for her debu...
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...