AALBC Search
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...
Ron Kavanaugh
Ron Kavanaugh NONE Ron Kavanaugh is a literary activist who founded Mosaic Books and the Literary Freedom Project (LFP), a non-profit supporting the literary arts. Through LFP, he launched Mosaic Lit...
Kisha Green
Kisha Green NONE Kisha Green is a multi-talented literary consultant and promoter dedicated to turning authors' dreams into published realities. Since 2006, she's written novels, hosted award-winning...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
Sterling Brown
Sterling Brown 0000000467837526 Sterling A. Brown (1901-1989) was a renowned African American professor, poet, and literary critic. Born and educated in prestigious institutions, he devoted 40 years ...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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....
Arthur R. Flowers
Arthur R. Flowers NONE Arthur Flowers, a Vietnam veteran, blues singer, and Memphis native, is a co-founder of the New Renaissance Writer's Guild and a notable performance poet. He teaches at Syracus...
Joanne C. Hillhouse
Joanne C. Hillhouse 0000000043655956 Joanne C. Hillhouse’s writing has been described as “honest”, “real”, “poetic”, and “lyrical”. Her Antiguan culture is at the heart of her writing: “Obvious is t...
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...
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-...
Sandra W. Headen
Sandra W. Headen NONE Dr. Sandra W. Headen is a Social and Community Psychologist turned children's historical fiction author. After an accomplished career in public health research and academia, she...
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...
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 ...
Richard Ellmann and Robert O’Clair
Richard Ellmann and Robert O’Clair MULTIPLE Richard Ellmann, an influential literary critic and biographer, and Robert O’Clair, a scholar specializing in modern poetry, were key contributors to the s...
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...
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...
Brooke C. Obie
Brooke C. Obie NONE Brooke C. Obie, JD, MFA, is a graduate of Hampton University and Mercer University School of Law. She worked on rapper T.I.'s legal defense team and is a Fulbright Fellowship fina...
Rhonda M. Lawson
Rhonda M. Lawson NONE Rhonda M. Lawson, an award-winning author and Army journalist, serves as a master sergeant and station manager in Belgium. An acclaimed veteran, she began her journalism career ...
Joseph E. Harris
Joseph E. Harris 0000000021360081 Joseph E. Harris, a history professor at Howard University, is a renowned author of numerous academic books on African history. He resides in Silver Spring, Maryland...
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 0000000476477577 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, hailing from Spring Valley, NY, is a SUNY Albany graduate with an MFA from Syracuse University. His work, celebrated in numerous pu...
Hope Lynne Price
Hope Lynne Price NONE Hope Lynne Price-Lindsay is an accomplished author, playwright, and Arts Educator with a BFA from Howard University. Her diverse experiences include performing with Ringling Bro...
Melissa V. Harris-Perry
Melissa V. Harris-Perry 0000000035811728 Melissa Harris-Perry is a writer, professor, TV host, and political commentator. She hosted an MSNBC show from 2012-2016, and is now the Maya Angelou Presiden...
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...
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...
Indigo Moor
Indigo Moor NONE Indigo Moor, Sacramento's Poet Laureate, is a multi-talented writer with works ranging from poetry to plays. His award-winning books include Tap-Root and Through the Stonecutter’s Wi...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
Cris Freese
Cris Freese NONE Cris Freese is a technical editor, writer, and literary intern for Corvisiero Literary Agency. He was previously the managing editor of Writer’s Digest Books, where he worked with no...
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...
Ian Williams
Ian Williams NONE Ian Williams is a renowned Canadian poet, short story writer, and novelist. Recognized by CBC as a writer to watch, he has been shortlisted for prestigious poetry awards and is a Da...
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...
Hortense J. Spillers
Hortense J. Spillers 0000000037085221 Hortense J. Spillers, a distinguished professor at Cornell University, is a renowned literary critic. Her work over the past two decades has significantly contri...
Eugene B. Redmond
Eugene B. Redmond 0000000117637604 Eugene B. Redmond, an American poet and academic, is renowned for his connection to the Black Arts Movement. A St. Louis native, Redmond earned degrees from Souther...
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...
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...
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, ...
Sondra Kathryn Wilson
Sondra Kathryn Wilson NONE Dr. Sondra Kathryn Wilson was a senior associate at Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, founder of the James Weldon Johnson Foundation, and executor of Johnson’s literary e...
Therese Taylor-Stinson
Therese Taylor-Stinson NONE Therese Taylor-Stinson, an ordained deacon, writer, and spiritual director, graduated from the Shalem Institute. The founding member of the Spiritual Directors of Color Ne...
Chad Sanders
Chad Sanders NONE Chad Sanders, a NYC-based writer, director, actor, and musician, previously worked at Google and YouTube. He has collaborated with Spike Lee, Morgan Freeman, and Will Packer on TV s...
Sabrena Khadija
Sabrena Khadija NONE Sabrena Khadija is a Sierra Leonean American illustrator known for works inspired by geometry, nature, and femininity. Her illustrations, including 'Ride, Roll, Run' and 'We Have...
Sarah Bird
Sarah Bird 000000011726115X Sarah Bird, acclaimed author of ten novels, is recognized for her literary contributions through awards like Texas Writer of the Year and the Texas Institute of Letters Li...
Angela Jackson-Brown
Angela Jackson-Brown NONE Angela Jackson-Brown, an award-winning writer, poet, and playwright, teaches Creative Writing and English at Ball State University. She authored the novel “Drinking From A B...
T. Owens Moore
T. Owens Moore NONE T. Owens Moore, Ph.D., is a renowned biomedical researcher, professor, and author. A graduate of Lincoln University and Howard University, he's currently a Full Professor in the A...
Manning Marable
Manning Marable 0000000121475054 William Manning Marable (1950-2011) was a renowned professor of public affairs, history, and African-American Studies. He held positions at several universities, incl...
Brandon Taylor
Brandon Taylor 0000000510801896 Brandon Taylor, senior editor at Electric Literature and staff writer at Literary Hub, is a celebrated writer with fellowships from Lambda Literary, Kimbilio Fiction, ...
Chanda Feldman
Chanda Feldman 0000000497214477 Chanda Feldman, an accomplished poet and academic, hails from Nashville, Tennessee. She's a former Wallace Stegner Fellow, NEA grant recipient, and is currently teachi...
Shonda Buchanan
Shonda Buchanan 0000000500800611 Shonda Buchanan is an award-winning author and professor with over 15 years of teaching experience in various literary fields. She's an Education Specialist for the U...
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...
Thomas Glave
Thomas Glave NONE Bronx-born author Thomas Glave, educated at Bowdoin College and Brown University, is recognized for his contribution to LGBT literature. A Fulbright Scholar, he co-founded Jamaica's...
Patrick M. Oliver
Patrick M. Oliver NONE Patrick Oliver is a program manager and literary consultant promoting literacy as empowerment. He hosts Literary Nation Talk Radio, is a publisher and editor, and has worked in...
Ernest Morris
Ernest Morris 0000000071824075 EJ Morris, known as “The Urban Fiction Literary Guru,” debuted in the literary world in 2014 with his novel, Flippin Numbers. Raised on the tough streets of Pennsylvani...
David T. Boyd
David T. Boyd NONE Chicago-born author David T. Boyd discovered his passion for writing early, penning his first story at nine. Inspired by authors like Stephen King, he developed his short story int...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
Larry Eugene Rivers
Larry Eugene Rivers NONE Dr. Larry E. Rivers is a distinguished educator with degrees from Fort Valley State College, Villanova University, Carnegie-Mellon University, and the University of London. H...
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...
Ali Mazrui
Ali Mazrui 0000000119710676 “One of the Top 100 Intellectuals in the World” Ali Al’amin Mazrui (1933-2014), a distinguished Kenyan academic and political writer, specialized in African and...
James Alan McPherson
James Alan McPherson 0000000110837574 1st Black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. James Alan McPherson, born on September 16, 1943, was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer for F...
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...
Keith Gilyard
Keith Gilyard 0000000084094091 Raymond Keith Gilyard is a renowned American professor and writer specializing in rhetoric, composition, literacy studies, sociolinguistics, and African American litera...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Rion Amilcar Scott
Rion Amilcar Scott 000000050163167X Rion Amilcar Scott, a celebrated author, has been published in numerous journals and holds awards like the Mary Roberts Rinehart award. His works include the short...
J.T. Smith
J.T. Smith 0000000117420835 J.T. Smith, a New Jersey-born author, developed a passion for reading and history at an early age. His interest in Black History and the Harlem Renaissance influenced his ...
Margaret Walker
Margaret Walker 0000000120999163 Margaret Walker was a renowned American poet and writer, known for her works “For My People” and “Jubilee.” She was a key figure in the African-American literary move...
John A. Williams
John A. Williams 0000000081606231 “…arguably the finest African-American novelist of his generation.” John Alfred Williams (1925-2015), a renowned author and professor, had a distin...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Crystal Wilkinson
Crystal Wilkinson 0000000041499179 Crystal Wilkinson is an award-winning author known for novels like The Birds of Opulence and Blackberries, Blackberries. She has received recognition from instituti...
Loretta Collins Klobah
Loretta Collins Klobah NONE Loretta Collins Klobah is a Caribbean Literature and creative writing professor at the University of Puerto Rico. She's lived in various Caribbean-related locations and ho...