Here are Black writers of fiction you need on your list
Readers seek education on racism, their preconceptions
Black characters provide a prism through which to view race, identity and other issues.
Nonfiction books on race have resonated with readers across the country and on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list since the outcry spurred by George Floyd’s death in May and the killing of Breonna Taylor in March – both Black, both dead at the hands of police. Readers are educating themselves on systemic racism and challenging their preconceptions about race. But an equally powerful way to become more educated and enlightened is through fiction. Black authors give readers more insight into the Black experience, often by viewing the world through the lens of Black characters.
“Fiction humanizes statistics; it humanizes people,” says Farah Jasmine
Griffin, an English professor who also chairs African American studies at Columbia University. “We invest in them
... in a way that we think their story is worthy of being told and we want to witness it. That’s profound, that’s absolutely profound. We care, it gives feeling and emotion and concern to something that might otherwise be easily stereotyped and caricatured . ... Fiction is an invitation to care.”
With input from Griffin and others, USA TODAY's Mary Cadden has culled a selection of 50 Black authors who write adult fiction.
For a more in-depth list of 100 authors go to usatoday.com/ entertainment/books/. The list includes a variety of authors from established to debut, award-winning to bestselling, American and international. The authors specialize in a wide range of genres, including literary, speculative, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery and more. But keep in mind, for every novelist we have included, there are scores more to be read and discovered.
Authors are listed in alphabetical order and are not ranked, as each author should be lauded on their own merits.
Chinua Achebe: “Things Fall Apart,” by the late Nigerian-born novelist, poet and professor, is considered a masterpiece of African literature and earned global acclaim. The novel follows the life of Okonkwo, of the fictional clan Umuofia and the challenges of his community. Achebe followed the novel with “No Longer at Ease” and “Arrow of God.”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The writer and MacArthur Genius Grant winner has written three award-win
ning novels, “Purple Hibiscus,” “Half of a Yellow Sun” and “Americanah,” as well as a book of short stories, “The Things Around Your Neck.” The Nigerian author is also a well-known lecturer whose TED-Global talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” from 2009 has more than 22 million views.
James Baldwin: The late writer, poet and activist’s novels and short stories reflect social issues and sexuality. His best-known include 1956’s “Giovanni’s Room,” about a young American man who has an affair with an Italian man named Giovanni, and 1974’s “If Beale Street Could Talk,” a love story set in Harlem during the 1970s, which was adapted into a feature film in 2018.
Paul Beatty: “The Sellout,” a satire about race in America, won Beatty both the National Books Circle Award and, in 2016, the Booker Prize, making Beatty the first American writer to win the coveted award. His previous novels include “Tuff,” “Slumberland” and “The White Boy Shuffle.”
Brit Bennett: Her debut book, “The Mothers,” about how a young girl’s pregnancy as a teenager has lingering effects, was well-received in 2016. Her follow-up, June’s “The Vanishing Half,” surpassed it in both critical acclaim and commercial success. The book about twin sisters who become adults in two different worlds, one white, the other Black, will be adapted for a limited series from HBO.
Gabriel Bump: His debut book, “Everywhere You Don’t Belong,” a comingof-age story about a young Black man trying to find his place in the world growing up on Chicago’s South Side, has been critically well-received. No release date has been set for his second novel, “The New Naturals.”
Octavia E. Butler: The late author won multiple Hugo and Nebula awards for her work. In 1995 she was the first science fiction author to become a MacArthur Fellow, and according to the MacArthur Foundation, Butler “brought elements of African and African-American spiritualism, mysticism and mythology to her novels and stories.” Her best-known novels include “Dawn,” “Kindred” and “Parable of the Sower.”
Bebe Moore Campbell: From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, the late author made herself at home on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list. Her first novels, “Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine,” “Brothers and Sisters,” “Singing in the Comeback Choir” and “What You Owe Me,” all appeared on the list. She was a well-known advocate for people with mental illness, and her last novel, “72 Hour Hold,” depicted a woman’s struggles in finding treatment for her daughter’s bipolar disorder.
David Chariandy: The Canadian author's first novel, "Soucouyant," won myriad awards. His follow-up, 2017's "Brother," the story of two brothers raised by an immigrant mother, won the Toronto Book Award and the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize.
Charles W. Chesnutt: One of the first well-known modern Black novelists, Chesnutt published short stories, essays and novels that focused on issues of race and identity. His first published work is also his best known, 1899’s “The Conjure Woman,” a collection of short stories. Other works include “The Wife of His Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line” and “The Colonel’s Dream.”
Ta-Nehisi Coates: Best known for his works of nonfiction, the author published his first novel in 2019. “The Water Dancer” made a huge splash and was the first selection for Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club. Coates also authored graphic novels for Marvel comics, most notably “Black Panther.”
J. California Cooper: The late author, who was also a well-known playwright, published several collections of short stories and novels. Her collection of short stories, 1986’s “Homemade Love,” won the American Book Award. Her novels include “Family,” “Some People, Some Other Place” and “In Search of Satisfaction.”
Edwidge Danticat: Her debut novel, 1994’s “Breath, Eyes, Memory,” was chosen as an Oprah’s Book Club selection in May 1998. The Haitian-American writer’s most recent work of fiction, “Everything Inside: Stories,” a collection of eight short stories that feature love and humanity is the August pick for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine book club and won this year’s National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Danticat has also produced critically hailed works, including “Krik? Krak!” and “The Farming of Bones.”
Nicole Dennis-Benn: The Jamaican author explores race, class and sexuality in her work. Her debut novel, 2016’s “Here Comes the Sun” and her followup, “Patsy,” were critically well-received,
with the latter becoming a Read With Jenna pick. Both novels have won Lambda Literary Awards, which honor the best LGBTQ books.
Ralph Ellison: The late writer’s bestknown work, “Invisible Man,” won the National Book Award in 1953. The novel, featuring a nameless protagonist who chronicles his experiences with racism and bigotry, was immediately called a masterpiece upon its publication in 1952. The author’s last novel, “Juneteenth,” was published several years after his death and became a USA TODAY best seller in 1999 when it was released.
Bernardine Evaristo: The British writer has penned eight novels as well as poetry, short fiction, essays and literary criticism. Her most recent novel, “Girl, Woman, Other,” won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 2019. Evaristo is the first Black woman to win the prestigious award. It was also one of President Barack Obama’s 19 top books of 2019
Ernest J. Gaines: The late author’s works spanned decades, from the publication of his first short story, “The Turtles,” in 1956 to his final book, “The Tragedy of Brady Sims,” in 2017. Along the way, he produced such classics as “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” “A Gathering of Old Men” and “A Lesson Before Dying.” The author has a literary award named for him, the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.
Jasmine Guillory: Guillory’s romances have been popping up on bestseller lists for the past few years. Witherspoon selected her novel, “The Proposal,” last year as Hello Sunshine’s February pick. Guillory’s other books include “The Wedding Date,” “Royal Holiday,” “The Wedding Party” and “Party of Two.”
Alex Haley: One of the author’s bestknown works was his nonfiction “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” “Roots,” which Haley referred to as a fictional account based on his own family history, was adapted as a successful TV miniseries in 1977. “Alex Haley’s Queen,” based on the author’s grandmother, was later adapted as a miniseries starring Halle Berry.
James Hannaham: In addition to short stories, the author has published two novels. The first, “God Says No,” a book about a gay Black man who marries his girlfriend, was a Stonewall Honor Book and a finalist for the Lambda Book Award. His most recent, 2015’s “Delicious Foods,” won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and tells the story of a widowed mother and her son’s fight to be reunited.
E. Lynn Harris: Starting with “Invisible Life,” the late author’s work featured African American characters who were gay and, at times, closeted. Several of his novels, including “Just As I Am” and “Abide With Me,” both sequels to “Invisible Life,” made the USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list through the 1990s and 2000s.
Langston Hughes: Considered a leader of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, Hughes was known primarily as a poet, playwright and activist. But he also wrote fiction in the form of short stories and books, including “The Ways of White Folks,” “Laughing to Keep From Crying” and “Something in Common and Other Stories.”
Zora Neale Hurston: A central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston was a filmmaker, anthropologist and author. Her most-notable novel was “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” published in 1937. Her career spanned decades, and even though she died in 1960, her writing continued to be published, with “Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick: Stories From the Harlem Renaissance,” a collection of stories released in January.
Uzodinma Iweala: The writer and doctor’s debut novel, 2005’s “Beasts of No Nation,” tells the story of a child soldier in West Africa. The award-winning novel was adapted into a 2015 film starring Idris Elba. Iweala’s recent novel, Lambda Literary Award Finalist “Speak No Evil.” follows college-bound Niru and friend Meredith, whose relationship struggles after Niru’s strict Nigerian father discovers he’s gay.
Marlon James: With four novels to his name, the Jamaican author’s “A Brief History of Seven Killings,” a historical novelization about the attempted assassination of Jamaican reggae artist Bob Marley in the late 1970s, won the Booker Prize in 2015. His latest novel, “Black Leopard, Red Wolf,” the first in a fantasy trilogy, was a finalist for 2019’s National
Book Award.
N.K. Jemisin: A popular science fiction writer of novels and stories, Jemisin became the first author to win consecutive Best Novel Hugos, an annual literary award for best science fiction and fantasy works, for her “Broken Earth” trilogy. Her most recent work, March’s “The City We Became,” where various residents of New York City suddenly take on aspects of the city itself, was a USA TODAY best seller.
Beverly Jenkins: A popular romance writer, Jenkins is best known for historical romance. She is a USA TODAY bestselling author with more than 40 books and anthologies to her name, most notably “Indigo,” “Something Old, Something New,” “Destiny’s Embrace” and “Forbidden.” In 2017, Jenkins received the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nella Larsen: A key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Larsen published short stories and two novels, 1928’s “Quicksand” and 1929’s “Passing,” while working as a nurse and later a librarian. She was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship in 1930.
Attica Locke: The author is known for her award-winning crime fiction, which includes her debut novel, “Black Water Rising,” and its follow-up “The Cutting Season,” winner of the Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Her most recent novel is 2019’s “Heaven, My Home.” In addition to novels, Locke’s work can be found on the small screen as a writer and producer for Netflix’s “When They See Us” and Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere.”
James McBride: The author’s most recent novel, March’s “Deacon King Kong,” about a church deacon shooting a drug dealer, has garnered strong reviews, is an Oprah Winfrey Book Club pick and is a USA TODAY best seller. “The Good Lord Bird” won the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction, and director Spike Lee brought McBride’s novel “Miracle at St. Anna” to the big screen in 2008.
Terry McMillan: The best-selling author’s first book, “Mama,” was published in the 1980s. But two of her works have become part of the ‘90s pop culture lexicon: “Waiting to Exhale” and “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” both immortalized in successful feature films. Her most recent work, “It’s Not All Downhill From Here,” was published in March.
Toni Morrison: The first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Morrison saw great critical and commercial success in her career before she died at the age of 88 in 2019. Much of that commercial success can be attributed to having Oprah Winfrey as one of her biggest fans. Four of the author’s novels were picked for her original book club: “Song of Solomon,” “Paradise,” “The Bluest Eye” and “Sula.” Ten of her books have made the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list.
Walter Mosley: The novelist’s bestselling historical mysteries feature private investigator Easy Rawlins, played in the film adaptation of “The Devil in a Blue Dress” by Denzel Washington. Mosley has written more than 40 works, including science fiction, erotica, plays, nonfiction and young adult. The latest Easy Rawlins book, “Blood Grove,” is expected in 2021.
Gloria Naylor: The late author’s best-known novel was also her first: 1982’s “The Women of Brewster Place.” She won a National Book Award for First Work of Fiction, and the novel was later adapted for the small screen by Oprah Winfrey. The late author’s other novels include “Linden Hills,” “Mama Day” and “The Men of Brewster Place.”
Ann Petry: Originally trained as a pharmacist, Petry later became a journalist and then a novelist. Her first book, “The Street,” published in 1946, was a critical and commercial success. She went on to write several more, including “Country Place” and “The Narrows.” In addition to novels, Petry also penned short stories and biographies for children.
Kiley Reid: Reid’s debut novel, “Such a Fun Age,” has received great reviews and is on the long list for the 2020 Booker Prize. Reese Witherspoon chose the book for her Hello Sunshine book group in January, noting: “This story is a beautiful conversation starter about race, privilege, work dynamics.”
Maurice Carlos Ruffin: The author’s 2019 book, “We Cast a Shadow,” was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for
Fiction. The speculative and satirical novel follows the story of Nigel, a biracial boy, in a near-future Southern city where there’s a clinic that can “liberate you from the confines of being born in a Black body.”
Sapphire: Sapphire is the pen name of Ramona Lofton. The author’s bestknown novel is also her debut, 1996’s “Push,” told in the voice of a damaged young teenager named Precious who is pregnant with her second child. The novel was the basis for the Oscar-winning film “Precious” and an edition was released under the film’s name. In 2011, Sapphire published the sequel, “The Kid.”
Rion Amilcar Scott: The writer has two books of short stories: 2016’s “Insurrections,” for which he won the PEN/ Robert W. Bingham Prize, and 2019’s “The World Does Not Require You.” A USA TODAY review of “The World Does Not Require You” called the collection both “bleak and beautiful” and said that its author “demonstrates the skill and long-range vision of a writer we need right now.”
Iceberg Slim: Also known as Robert Beck, the author’s memoir, “Pimp,” published in 1967, brought him notoriety. But it was the novels that followed, including “Trick Baby,” “Mama Black Widow” and “Long White Con,” that gave him prominence as an author and put him at the forefront of the urban fiction genre.
Zadie Smith: The British-born novelist, currently a tenured professor at New York University, first made it big with “White Teeth,” the story of two soldiers in WWII, the very English Archie Jones and the very Bengali Samad Iqbal, who become unlikely friends. She has written four more novels, including “On Beauty,” “NW” and “Swingtime.”
Rivers Solomon: The author’s first book, the science fiction novel “An Unkindness of Ghosts,” won the Hurston/ Wright Legacy Award for best Black literature in the United States. The book follows the journey of Aster, who lives in the “lowdeck” slums of the space vessel HSS Matilda. Solomon followed it up with the novella “The Deep.” Their next novel, “Sorrowland,” billed as a “genrebending work of Gothic fiction” is scheduled for release in 2021.
Jean Toomer: The Harlem Renaissance writer’s novel 1923’s “Cane” is his most well-known work. Considered by many to be a masterpiece in American modernist literature, the novel, through a series of vignettes, tells the stories of African Americans living in the south and urban north during Jim Crow era.
A.J. Verdelle: Verdelle’s 1995 “The Good Negress” was a finalist for a PEN/ Faulkner award for fiction, and the author won the Whiting Award for emerging writers. The acclaimed novel, set in 1960s Detroit, centers around Denise Palms, who leaves her grandmother’s home in rural Virginia and reunites with her family up north.
Alice Walker: Her best-known novel, 1982’s “The Color Purple,” tells the story of Celie, an uneducated Black woman living in the South in the early 1900s. It won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was later adapted into an Academy Awardnominated film and stage musical. “Possessing the Secret of Joy” and “The Temple of My Familiar” are other wellknown novels among her more than 30 works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.
Bryan Washington: The writer’s first book, “Lot,” a collection of short stories, was one of Obama’s favorite books of 2019. Washington has been named a National Book Award 5 Under 35 honoree and winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. His first novel, “Memorial,” is due in October.
Jesmyn Ward: Twice the author has won the National Book Award, first in 2011 for “Salvage the Bones,” about Esch, 14, who is pregnant and preparing her fractured family for Hurricane Katrina, and again in 2017 for “Sing, Unburied Sing,” about the life and struggles of 13year-old Jojo and his family in Mississippi. Her other novel is “Where the Line Bleeds.”
Colson Whitehead: The author has twice won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction – in 2017 for “The Underground Railroad” and in 2020 for “The Nickel Boys.” The novels both became fixtures on USA TODAY’s best-sellers list. Whitehead was also awarded the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. The author has racked up awards and devoted readers since his debut novel, “The Intuitionist” in 1999.
Richard Wright: Wright published fiction, nonfiction, essays and poetry. But his first, and arguably most-famous novel, is the 1940 “Native Son,” the story of a young man, Bigger Thomas, and his life in a poor area of Chicago’s South Side during the 1930s. It has been adapted for both film and stage. Other novels include “The Outsider” and “The Long Dream.”