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Maaza Mengiste
Maaza Mengiste 0000000079072875 Ethiopian-born author Maaza Mengiste, known for her novel 'Beneath the Lion’s Gaze', is a celebrated academic at Queens College and Princeton University. A Fulbright S...
Brandy Colbert
Brandy Colbert 0000000409932699 Brandy Colbert is an award-winning author hailing from Missouri. Her work primarily focuses on young adult and children's literature, with titles such as “Little & Lio...
Christian Keyes
Christian Keyes NONE Christian Keyes is a versatile actor, singer, and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan, recognized for his consistent performances in Tyler Perry's productions. He's also known for ...
Jon Meacham
Jon Meacham 0000000108603277 Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of bestsellers such as “American Lion”, is a distinguished professor at Vanderbilt University and trustee at the Thomas Jeffers...
gina Breedlove
gina Breedlove NONE Gina Breedlove is a versatile artist from Brooklyn, known for her work as a vocalist, composer, actor and traditional sound healer. She designed the program Vibration of Graceâ„¢ ...
David Barclay Moore
David Barclay Moore NONE Missouri-born David Barclay Moore is a Brooklyn-based writer, filmmaker, and photographer. Known for his debut young adult novel 'The Stars Beneath Our Feet' and his award-wi...
Rita Dove
Rita Dove 0000000114709625 Dove was U.S. Poet Laureate, 1993-1995 Rita Dove, former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, is known for her poetry collections, novel, and drama. She's been reco...
Guy Sims
Guy Sims NONE Guy A. Sims is an acclaimed author known for his early publications on Kwanzaa, his collection of American Tall Tales, and his novel, Living Just A Little. He's also the head writer for...
Trisha R. Thomas
Trisha R. Thomas 0000000019527831 Trisha R. Thomas, an award-winning author of literary fiction and former Language Arts teacher, is recognized for her outstanding work by the NAACP and the Black Wri...
J.G. Parker
J.G. Parker NONE J.G. Parker is an author, entrepreneur, and the founder of Looking Lion Books, LLC, a nimble publishing house dedicated to uplifting, world-driven narratives. A San Diego State Univ...
N. K. Jemisin
N. K. Jemisin 0000000107503776 Jemisin, in 2018, Became the Only Writer to Win 3 Best Novel Hugo Awards in Consecutive Years (note) Nora K. Jemisin, born in 1972, is a renowned speculative fiction aut...
Cathie Wright-Lewis
Cathie Wright-Lewis NONE Cathie Wright-Lewis, a lover of linguistics, ancient history, and metaphysics, is a former NYC high school English teacher with a passion for diverse cultures and dialects. O...
Cecilia Vicuna
Cecilia Vicuna 0000000078634055 Cecilia Vicuña (born 1948) is a poet, artist, activist and filmmaker whose work addresses pressing concerns of the modern world. She was elected a foreign hono...
Clyde W. Ford
Clyde W. Ford 0000000109297208 Clyde W. Ford, NYC-born author of 13 fiction and non-fiction works, is also a psychotherapist, mythologist, and public speaker. He's received numerous accolades includi...
Bella Makatini
Bella Makatini NONE Bella Makatini, born 1980 in Den Bosch, NL, has been writing since childhood. She successfully blends her passion for writing with her background in communication sciences and soc...
Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key
Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key MULTIPLE Emmy and Peabody Award-winning actor, writer, and producer Keegan-Michael Key is renowned for his diverse talent in comedy and drama, with credits in Key & Pe...
Joel Christian Gill
Joel Christian Gill NONE Joel Christian Gill, chairman of Strange Fruit Comics, is known for his award-winning graphic novels which focus on uncelebrated narratives from Black History. Apart from his...
Paule Marshall
Paule Marshall 0000000110812465 Watch a Powerful Tribute to Paule Marshall and John A. Williams Paule Marshall, born Valenza Pauline Burke, was a renowned author and educator. She was selected by Lang...
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...
Claude McKay
Claude McKay 0000000108625951 Festus Claudius McKay, a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, was born in Jamaica and authored influential works including the poem “If We Must Die” and novel “Home to ...
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 ...
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 ...
Shannon Holmes
Shannon Holmes NONE Shannon Holmes, a Bronx native, turned his life around while serving a prison sentence by penning his first novel. Achieving success with his debut, “B-more Careful,” he secured a...
David Hunter Sutherland
David Hunter Sutherland NONE David Hunter Sutherland’s work has seen wide distribution in journals, reviews and magazines. His pieces of his have appeared in The Hollins Critic, Anthology, T...
Charlotte Watson Sherman
Charlotte Watson Sherman 0000000067613072 Charlotte Watson Sherman, a Seattle-born author, is known for her novels, children's books, and short fiction collection. Formerly a librarian, her works inc...
P. Djèlí Clark
P. Djèlí Clark 0000000509439754 Phenderson Djèlà Clark, born in New York and raised in Houston and Trinidad and Tobago, is an award-winning author known for his novellas The Black God’s Drums and T...
Granger
Granger 0000000052290215 Granger (a pen name) is the author of the Secret World of Maggie Grey fantasy series. Known for her unorthodox approach to storytelling, she blends culture, mythology, and i...
D.T. Pollard
D.T. Pollard NONE D.T. Pollard, an Essence Bestselling author from Texas, discovered his passion for writing at a young age but paused during college. After a 25-year career in technology sales, he r...
Paul Beatty
Paul Beatty 0000000084014450 Paul Beatty, born 1962, the first American to win the Man Booker Prize in 2016 for his novel “The Sellout.” An LA native and graduate of Brooklyn College and Boston Unive...
Brian W. Smith
Brian W. Smith NONE Brian W. Smith, an award-winning author of 15 novels and former U.S. Army member, turned full-time author after being laid off. His personal trauma inspired his first novel, leadi...
Yvvette Edwards
Yvvette Edwards 000000012060298X London-based author, Yvvette Edwards, is best known for her debut novel “A Cupboard Full of Coats,” longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Her work, focused on diverse ...
Jacki Simmons
Jacki Simmons NONE Bronx-born, Harlem-raised author Jacki Simmons found inspiration in her surroundings from a young age. She completed her first short story at 11 and her first novel at 16. After wi...
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...
Nalo Hopkinson
Nalo Hopkinson 0000000084289358 Acclaimed author Nalo Hopkinson, known for her debut novel 'Brown Girl in the Ring', is a winner of multiple awards including the Locus Award and John W. Campbell Awar...
Sofia Samatar
Sofia Samatar 0000000370667268 Sofia Samatar’s first novel, A Stranger in Olondria, won the 2014 William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the World Fantasy Award for Best Nov...
Nora Deloach
Nora Deloach NONE “I use [mysteries] as the opportunity to introduce people to real African-American characters.” Nora DeLoach (1940-2001), a mystery novelist and social worker, saw her de...
Zee Edgell
Zee Edgell 000000005844502X Belizean author Zee Edgell, educated in London and the West Indies, is known for her debut novel, “Beka Lamb.” A former journalist and founding editor of The Reporter, she...
Alexs D. Pate
Alexs D. Pate 0000000121304941 Alexs D. Pate is a professor at the University of Minnesota specializing in African studies and literature. An award-winning author, Pate's work has appeared in various...
Richard Morris
Richard Morris 000000002791695X Richard A. Morris is a Harvard Business School alumnus, Vietnam war veteran and former building code specialist turned novelist. Known for his critically acclaimed nov...
Ann Petry
Ann Petry 0000000114367004 Did you know? Ann Petry’s first novel The Street was the first novel by an African American to sell more than a million copies. Ann Petry (1908–1997) was an acclaimed ...
zaji
zaji NONE Zaji is an accomplished author and freelance writer with a B.A. in English and M.S. in Journalism from Iona College. She's written a novel, poetry book, short stories, and is working on her...
Nicole Dennis-Benn
Nicole Dennis-Benn 000000050158667X Nicole Dennis-Benn, an acclaimed author and Lambda Literary Award winner, is renowned for her debut novel 'Here Comes the Sun' which has received multiple accolade...
Carlotta Arradondo
Carlotta Arradondo NONE Carlotta Arradondo, a Minneapolis-born novelist, poet, and storyteller, discovered her passion for writing at nine. She is the author of the novel “Yearning” and co-author of ...
Mary Monroe
Mary Monroe 0000000029010860 Mary Monroe, a sharecropper's daughter and the first in her family to graduate high school, returned to the literary scene with her novel “God Don’t Like Ugly”, which sol...
Chigozie Obioma
Chigozie Obioma 000000007886845X “the heir to Chinua Achebe” (New York Times) Chigozie Obioma, born in Nigeria, is an award-winning author and professor of English at the University of Neb...
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....
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...
Dorothy West
Dorothy West 0000000117719538 Dorothy West (1907-1998) was an active participant in the Harlem Renaissance and the last surviving member. Known for her short stories, she debuted with her novel 'The ...
E. Lynn Harris
E. Lynn Harris 0000000117647343 Everette Lynn Harris was a successful black author, focusing on the experiences of young, urban professionals. Raised by a single mother in Little Rock, he overcame pe...
Elizabeth Nunez
Elizabeth Nunez 0000000080832288 Elizabeth Nunez, a Trinidad-born, award-winning author, wrote ten novels and a memoir, with several recognized by the New York Times and Oprah's book club. Her works,...
Elsie Augustave
Elsie Augustave NONE Elsie Augustave, born in Haiti, is a Fulbright Scholar and accomplished educator, teaching French and Spanish at Stuyvesant High School. With degrees in foreign language and lite...
Helen Elaine Lee
Helen Elaine Lee NONE Helen Elaine Lee is a Harvard-educated author known for her novels “The Serpent’s Gift” and “Water Marked.” As a professor at MIT, she directs the Women’s & Gender Studies Progr...
Kopano Matlwa
Kopano Matlwa 0000000081937583 Kopano Matlwa, a South African writer and physician, is known for her novels 'Spilt Milk' and 'Coconut', both of which explore post-Apartheid era themes. Her debut nove...
Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas 0000000486125057 Angie Thomas, a Mississippi-based author, gained fame with her debut novel 'The Hate U Give'. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the novel was a #1 New York Ti...
Jacqueline Leigh
Jacqueline Leigh NONE Jacqueline Leigh is a children's book author and poet with a focus on Sierra Leone. Her notable works include a historical novel, The Heritage Keeper, and a nonfiction account o...
Autumn J. Bright
Autumn J. Bright NONE Autumn J. Bright is an acclaimed American fiction writer, known for her debut novel 'Love Sick'. She enjoys family time in Charleston, SC and travelling when not creating recomm...
Frank Hercules
Frank Hercules NONE Frank Hercules, born in Trinidad and Tobago (1917), was a renowned author and scholar. Known for his insightful novels on colonial oppression and interracial marriage, and his his...
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...
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...
K’wan
K’wan 0000000417519140 K'wan Foye, born to a poet and painter, faced numerous rejections before his debut novel, Gangsta, was published in 2002. His subsequent novels caught the attention of St. Mart...
Malla Nunn
Malla Nunn 0000000040740979 Malla Nunn, born in Swaziland, is an acclaimed author with two Edgar nominations and a RUSA Best Mystery Novel Award. She won the L.A. Times Book Prize and Josette Frank A...
Zariah L. Banks
Zariah L. Banks NONE Zariah L. Banks, a multi-award-winning author, is renowned for her contemporary romance novels. She gained fame with her debut novel, “Beauty Beheld,” and Amazon bestselling nove...
Sam Greenlee
Sam Greenlee 000000005809192X Samuel Greenlee, best known for his novel “The Spook Who Sat by the Door”, was a writer and former USIA officer. Born in Chicago, he served in the military, worked in po...
Silk White
Silk White NONE Silk White, a best-selling urban fiction author from Harlem, New York, is also a co-owner of Good2Go Publishing and Films. He has credit for films like No Way Out & Black Barbie, and ...
Zaire Crown
Zaire Crown NONE Zaire Crown, a Michigan native, began writing suspense and horror novels in his early twenties. Drawing from urban experiences, he infuses crime and suspense into his work. Currently...
Kamel Daoud
Kamel Daoud 0000000123031879 Kamel Daoud, born in Algeria, is the editor of French daily Le Quotidien d'Oran and the author of “The Meursault Investigation”, which won the Goncourt Prize for a First ...
Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith 000000012276857X Zadie Smith, born Sadie Smith in 1975, is a renowned British author of Jamaican-English heritage. Her debut novel, “White Teeth,” won numerous awards, and subsequent nove...
Jessica Lewis
Jessica Lewis NONE Jessica Lewis is a Black author who writes in many eclectic genres. Her first novel, Bad Witch Burning, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award, and she’s written everything from ...
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe 0000000120176335 Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was an influential American author and abolitionist. Her novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, highlighted the harsh realities of slavery ...
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...
Honeyb
Honeyb NONE Best-selling author HoneyB, also known as Mary B. Morrison, writes empowering novels addressing social and sexual issues. She self-published her debut novel “Soulmates Dissipate” in 2000 ...
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...
Anita Bunkley
Anita Bunkley NONE Anita Richmond Bunkley is a highly-acclaimed author and motivational speaker. Overcoming initial rejections, she self-published her first novel and has since written five more, all...
Jose Ando
Jose Ando 0000000513785772 Jose Ando was born and raised in Tokyo and is of African-Asian heritage. His debut novel Jackson Alone was awarded the 59th Bungei Prize. It was also shortlisted for th...
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Ngugi Wa Mirii
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Ngugi Wa Mirii MULTIPLE Born in Kenya in 1938, Ngugi wa Thiong’o is a leading East African novelist, essayist, playwright, and academic. Educated in Kenya, Uganda, and Britain, ...
Ayesha Harruna Attah
Ayesha Harruna Attah 0000000389081478 Ayesha Harruna Attah, born in Accra, Ghana, is an acclaimed author known for her novel 'Harmattan Rain', shortlisted for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. He...
Tiffany M. Davis
Tiffany M. Davis NONE Tiffany M. Davis, a self-proclaimed wordsmith, is known for her novel “Sandtrap” and her work with Aalize.com and BlackWords, Inc. She's also contributed to “Malaria Shots Not I...
Ben Burgess Jr.
Ben Burgess Jr. NONE Ben Burgess Jr. is an award-winning author and spoken word poet known for inspiring youths. His works, including the novel 'Monster' and the poetry book 'Times Have Changed and L...
Alaya Dawn Johnson
Alaya Dawn Johnson 0000000084426631 Alaya Dawn Johnson, an award-winning author recognized for her YA novels and short fiction. She won the 2015 Nebula Award for “A Guide to the Fruits of Hawai’i.” H...
Brandon McCalla
Brandon McCalla NONE Brandon Dewitt McCalla, a Brooklyn native, is an author inspired by comic books and J.R.R. Tolkien. After studying English in college and exploring the music industry, he realize...
Reality Way
Reality Way NONE Reality Way, a Queens-born author, faced several life obstacles leading him to prison. It was there he developed a passion for writing, leading to his first published work, “Young Go...
C. Kelly Robinson
C. Kelly Robinson NONE C. Kelly Robinson is a Howard and Washington University graduate, who self-published his first novel, “Not All Dogs,” in 1999. The book was re-released in 2001 as “Between Brot...
camika c. spencer
camika c. spencer NONE Camika C. Spencer, a Dallas native, is a best-selling author known for her unique storytelling. After studying broadcasting, she discovered her writing talent at Black Images B...
Carl Patterson
Carl Patterson NONE Carl Patterson started writing at 45, inspired by his late wife's positive outlook on life. Initially a poet, he transitioned into novel-writing upon her suggestion. His works, in...
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...
Harriet E. Wilson
Harriet E. Wilson 0000000034051405 Harriet E. Wilson (1825-1900) was a free person of color and former indentured servant from New Hampshire. She authored the novel “Our Nig,” published anonymously i...
William Wells Brown
William Wells Brown 0000000120314769 William Wells Brown (1814-1884) was a notable African-American abolitionist, novelist, playwright, and historian. He's recognized for 'Clotel' (1853), the first n...
Charles Johnson
Charles Johnson 0000000000042498 Charles Richard Johnson, a novelist, essayist, and cartoonist from Evanston, Illinois, is renowned for his balanced mix of philosophy and folklore. His novel, Middle ...
Cherlyn Michaels
Cherlyn Michaels NONE Cherlyn Michaels is a self-published author and chemical engineer who began writing in grade school. She pursued her passion for writing after graduating from university, bravel...
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...
Sarah E. Farro
Sarah E. Farro NONE Sarah E. Farro, a black author born in 1859, wrote 'True Love: A Story of English Domestic Life' in 1891, making her the second known African-American woman novelist of the 19th c...
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 ...
D. Amari Jackson
D. Amari Jackson 0000000530897506 D. Amari Jackson is an accomplished creator, award-winning journalist, and author known for his middle grade novel, Jelani's Key. His portfolio includes TV/web/film ...
Tracey Baptiste
Tracey Baptiste 0000000037347738 Tracey Baptiste, a Trinidad-born author, made her debut with 'Angel’s Grace', lauded by NYC librarians. Once a teacher and ballerina, she now writes and edits childre...
Deborah Fletcher Mello
Deborah Fletcher Mello 0000000036839925 Deborah Fletcher Mello is a multi-faceted author and Renaissance woman with diverse career experience. Her debut novel earned her a Best New Author nomination,...
Delores Thornton
Delores Thornton NONE Indianapolis author Delores Thornton, celebrated for her novels “Ida Mae” and its sequel, is a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild and the African-American Online ...
Dorothy Koomson
Dorothy Koomson 0000000122756528 Dorothy Koomson, a London-born novelist, started her writing journey at 13. After studying in Leeds and London, she began her career in women's magazines and national...
Derrick Barnes
Derrick Barnes 0000000036217464 Derrick D. Barnes, a Kansas City native and Jackson State University graduate, is a celebrated author known for children's books like “Stop Drop and Chill” and “The Lo...
Marsha Hunt
Marsha Hunt 0000000117741647 Marsha Hunt, born 1946, is a British-based actress, singer, and novelist, best known for her role in the rock musical 'Hair'. She has written autobiographies and novels, ...
Harriet Jacobs
Harriet Jacobs 0000000121310444 Harriet Ann Jacobs, an escaped slave turned abolitionist speaker and reformer, authored “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” one of the first books highlighting th...