Thanks to African American authors, we can all better understand the struggles and achievements of Black people in America.
And while Black History Month is celebrated every February, these works deserve to be celebrated all year long.
You are reading: Award-winning books by black authors
best books by black authors
Here is a list of some of the award-winning books written by African-American authors:
thunder roll hear my mildred taylor cry
This Newbery Award-winning coming-of-age novel follows Cassie Logan and her siblings as they experience firsthand the injustice and discrimination against African Americans in the cotton plantation towns of the South.
The story climaxes when a friend of his is accused of robbery and murder.
loved by toni morrison
This 1988 American Book Award and 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner tells the story of a runaway slave named Sethe who lives in Ohio after the Civil War. he lives with his mother-in-law and his daughter, but the ghost of a girl he had and lost constantly haunts her.
black bassinet by alain mabanckou
Set in the 1970s, this book won the 2018 Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for Fiction. It tells the story of three orphans who escape their orphanage and become a gang of thieves in Pointe-Noire, a busy port city of the republic of the congo.
a brief history of seven murders by marlon james
this 2014 national book critics circle award finalist also won the booker award and the american book award in 2015. the book is a fictional oral history dealing with the characters and events surrounding the attempted assassination of bob marley in the late 1970s.
the colson whitehead underground railway
Winner of the National Book Award in 2016, The Underground Railroad follows the adventures of Cora, a young slave girl on a cotton plantation in Georgia.
In his attempt to find freedom through the Underground Railroad with a new friend named Caesar, he accidentally kills a young white man and the authorities end up hunting them down.
james hannaham delicious food
darlene is a widow who is lured into a shady company that is holding her captive as a worker. In the midst of her drug addiction and captivity, she struggles to reunite with her young son, whom she had left behind at home.
save the bones by jesmyn ward
The National Book Award winner tells the horrific story of Hurricane Katrina from the perspective of a family struggling to survive amid their own personal struggles.
esch, fourteen, is pregnant and her father is a heavy drinker who is mostly absent and passive as a father. this gives us a harrowing vision of rural poverty.
another brooklyn by jacqueline woodson
A 2016 National Book Award Finalist, this coming-of-age story reveals glimpses of August’s childhood in Brooklyn.
captures her relationships with her friends angela, gigi and sylvia, and with her brother and father, giving us a moving story of kinship and friendship.
brunette girl dreaming by jacqueline woodson
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Winner of the 2014 National Award for Young People’s Literature, Brown Girl Dreaming tells the story of Jacqueline Woodson’s childhood in the form of poetry. Using vivid verse, she recounts her experiences growing up as an African-American around the civil rights movement.
the total sale of paul beatty
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This satire depicts a young man’s upbringing and a trial that lands him in the Supreme Court, and explores issues surrounding the United States Constitution, the Civil Rights Movement, racial inequality, and parent-child relationships. son.
the good mr bird by james mcbride
This 2013 national award-winning book tells the story of Henry Shackleford, a young slave in 1857 who joins the anti-slavery crusade by dressing as a girl. Over the months, Henry, nicknamed the Little Onion, has to hide his true identity in order to survive.
blond faith by walter mosley
l.a. Detective Easy Rawlins finds the daughter of his friend Black’s on his doorstep, giving him a clue that Black is probably dead. He investigates and discovers connections to Vietnam that could help solve Black’s disappearance.
I know why Maya Angelou’s caged bird sings
This autobiography shares the author’s experience with rape and racism in the South. she recounts her hardships, beginning with the rape that left her speechless for five years. finally, she finds happiness in the birth of her child.
the heart of a woman by maya angelou
This 1981 memoir follows the author’s life over several years: her son is now a teenager, and she travels continents, publishes her first book, and becomes involved in the civil rights movement.
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her eyes looked at god by zora neale hurston
This story follows Janie as she tells her friend Phoeby about her three marriages and her search for love. Her grandmother had arranged her first marriage to Logan Killicks, who treats her like a child and expects blind submission.
footprints of dust on a road by zora neale hurston
In this autobiography, Zora Neale Hurston describes her childhood as a poor black woman. the book portrays a dynamic woman who overcomes adversity to reach a liberated and rewarding destiny.
things fall apart by chinua achebe
The author’s first novel, published in 1958, has since been translated into more than 50 languages and sold over 20 million copies. The story explores the struggles of Christian missionaries who influenced African culture during Nigeria’s colonial years.
song of solomon by toni morrison
this nobel prize winning novel is about the seven days, a group of black men who take justice into their own hands: for every murder of a black person who does not receive justice, they kill a white person in the same way .
the bluest eye of toni morrison
This story follows Pecola, a girl struggling to grow up black in the years after the Great Depression. Due to her dark skin and mannerisms, people constantly label her “ugly”, and she wishes she had blue eyes.
how we fight for our lives by saeed jones
This best-selling memoir follows Saeed Jones’s life as a young gay man growing up in the South. his poignant and transparent exchange gives us insight into his struggles to navigate difficult relationships with lovers, friends and family.
more than enough by elaine welteroth
Formerly the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, Elaine Welteroth writes a candid memoir about her childhood in California as the daughter of interracial parents. she shares with her about her ambition and her eventual foray into journalism, as well as important lessons she learned on her journey.
candice carty-williams queenie
One of the best sellers of 2019, this novel follows the life of a 25-year-old London journalist struggling to recover from a serious breakup. he faces challenges on his way to happiness, including questioned decisions and multiple men.
children of blood and bone of tomi adeyemi
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This first book in a young adult fantasy series tells the story of Zélie. she has magical powers, but she needs to hide them because an evil king who conquers the land is on a quest to kill those with these abilities. zélie gets the chance to bring magic back to people and she does whatever it takes to do it.
alice walker’s purple color
This National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winner tells the story of resilient and courageous Celie, who grew up poor in rural Georgia. Ella’s sister, Nettie, leaves her life of poverty to be a missionary in Africa, while Celie begins writing letters to God over a period of 20 years.
waiting to exhale by terry mcmillan
This New York Times bestselling novel follows the lives and relationships of Bernadine, Gloria, Robin and Savannah, who are all in their thirties. after being disappointed by the men in their lives, they turn to each other and find that they can finally pursue their dreams.
become happy by terry mcmillan
This sequel to Waiting to Exhale continues the story of the same four women, who, now in middle age, remain as vivid and daring as ever. Savannah, Robin, Bernie and Gloria grapple with difficult issues of love and loss as they support each other as everything falls apart around them.
blood child by octavia butler
This modern science fiction story takes place on a distant planet that is home to human children who are being groomed to become hosts to the offspring of the alien tlic. the process sometimes goes smoothly, but other times it is not as harmless as expected.
the fifth season of n.k. jemisin
This Hugo Award-winning science fiction book is set on a planet made up of a single supercontinent, where a “fifth season” of extreme weather changes occurs every few centuries.
The story begins with one of the powerful characters dividing this supercontinent, threatening the worst fifth season in the history of the planet.
not without laughter by langston hughes
This novel tells the story of young Sandy Rogers, an intelligent but sensitive black boy in a small town in Kansas. he traces his childhood and adolescence with his grandmother at the center of his existence.
go tell it on the mountain by james baldwin
This novel tells the story of John Grimes, a 14-year-old boy living in Harlem in 1935. The book uses flashblacks to provide insight into the lives of John’s parents, showing his bond with a slave grandmother in the South. previous generations.
between me and the world by ta-nehisi coates
Written as a letter to the author’s 15-year-old son, Between the World and Me weaves together the author’s historical, intellectual, and personal development in his advice to his son on how to live black in America.
right above my head by james baldwin
The novel tells the story of a group of friends during the civil rights movement in the United States. expert narration explores themes of racism and homophobia, with one of the main characters being a homosexual who rises to world fame.
Award-winning books by African-American authors
These books by African-American authors can give each of us a broader world view, which is just one reason why diversity in literature is so important.
Choose one of these top reads today to gain new perspectives and support diverse authors.
Which of these books would you like to add to your book list this month? share in the comments below.
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