I’m sure by now, some of you have seen Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Ted Talk warning us of the dangers around hearing a ‘single story’. If not, I suggest you watch it- it really does make you question your reading habits. If you’d like to expand your bookshelf to include works by Black authors, see my recommendations below.
Things Fall Apart (1958), Chinua Achebe
This book was the first I’d read with such an emphasis on the culture and traditions of tribal Igbo society. The proverbs and accounts peppered throughout the book gave the story such a sense of reality. Even though this specific story isn’t real, it is based on the experiences of many people as they are faced with white settlers. Beautifully written and my god what an ending!
Open Water (2021), Caleb Azumah Nelson
The most modern of all these five books, Open Water tells the story of two young Black British individuals. Exploring what it is to be a young Black Londoner, the vulnerability of Nelson’s writing is extremely moving. The style in which it is written is like nothing I have ever read before. Like poetry at times, this debut novel promises a lot more from Caleb Azumah Nelson.
The Fat Lady Sings (2000), Jacqueline Roy
Roy accounts the stories of two women living on a mental health ward. She raises issues of racism within British healthcare, stigmas around mental health alongside the treatment you face being LGBTQ+. Although the topics raised in this book are heavy, her writing keeps things light and even funny.
Second Class Citizen (1974), Buchi Emecheta
I started my 2022 with this book and wow, what a standard it created for the books which followed. This book follows a woman who emigrates to London and raises her children. With strong themes of domestic abuse, this book is often difficult to read but equally difficult to put down. An inspiring (semi auto-biographical) story of an incredibly strong woman.
So Long a Letter (1979), Mariama Bâ
The shortest of all these books, So Long a Letter tells the story of marriage and family life as a Black Muslim woman living in Senegal. Written as a letter to an old friend, this story is extremely personal, detailing the betrayal and pain in this protagonist’s life as she observes the customs of her culture. So Long a Letter is beautiful tale of friendship, family and the strength of women.
These five books have given me a fantastic foundation to continue the expansion of my literary horizons in 2023. If you’d like to do the same this year, I suggest you incorporate some of these fantastic books. And, of course, if you have any recommendations I’d love to hear them!