In honour of October being Black History Month, I thought I would spotlight some of my favourite books by black authors. Black History Month is a time to reflect and celebrate black culture and history, and what better way to commemorate this month than by delving into the black authors’ literary canon? Listed below are five texts that are rich in beautiful language and storytelling that I have enjoyed and recommend. For this selection, I wanted to focus on writers with varying degrees of prevalence or popularity, and therefore these writers are from different places in the world. These books are also spread across genres, from queer young adult fiction to political non-fiction, so there is something for everyone!
- Gifts by Nuruddin Farah (2000)
Part of his Blood on the Sun trilogy, Farah’s Gifts follows Duniya, a single mother living in Somalia. His writing is lyrical and dreamy, weaving folklore and fantasy with politically charged questions about the role of international aid. This novel is incredibly unique in its ability to slip between magic realism and politics. I think this is a perfect option for anyone who wants to read something a bit different than a typical geopolitical novel.
- You Should See me in a Crown by Leah Johnson (2020)
Set in the political playground of an American prom, teenage protagonist Liz balances her slowly fading dreams about college with growing realisations about her sexuality. A wholesome young adult LGBT romance sprinkled with empowerment and friendship makes this an incredibly entertaining yet moving read.
- With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Avecado (2019)
My next recommendation is Avecado’s mouth-wateringly descriptive young adult novel. Emoni is an American teenage mother with a talent for cooking, and her passion for food seeps onto the pages through vivid imagery. The novel combines the ordinary teenage struggles of love, life and liberty with the eternal question: how do you pursue your passion when it feels like the world is against you?
- Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo (2019)
The winner of the Booker Prize, Evaristo’s tale of twelve different black British women has become a staple in the English literary canon, with the bright cover art visible in every bookshop. Splicing together women from all over the country, she tells fictional stories grounded in the realities of being a black British woman. Her character focused novel follows theatre directors, students, mothers and other archetypes with personalities that are so 3D and incredibly authentic, it’s almost like reading about your neighbours and familiar friends.
- A Month and a Day and Letters by Ken Saro-Wiwa (1995)
My final recommendation is an autobiography that intertwines political struggles with the personal. Saro-Wiwa was an environmental and rights activist for the Ogoni people in Nigeria. This autobiography recounts the month and a day he spent in prison after protesting against the government’s negligence around oil spills in the Niger Delta, before his untimely death sentence. His words are still haunting and raw decades later, highlighting the consequences of wider issues on individuals. However, despite the horrific setting of his story, Saro-Wiwa still manages to balance some lightheartedness with all of the darkness through his comedic quips and the inclusion of letters from his son at the end.