I'm looking to expand my reading catalog and have had a hard time finding Black-authored books that fall under literary or contemporary fiction (i.e Natasha Brown, Brandon Taylor, Angela Flournoy, Bryan Washington) but aren’t solely/primarily tied to historical fiction.
I feel like so many recommendations default to historical, and I’m hoping to find more books that explore modern life, identity, relationships, art, ambition, etc.
Here are some authors I already read or am aware of, so no need to recommend them:
- Danzy Senna
- Percival Everett
- Namwali Serpell
- Toni Morrison
- James Baldwin
- Akwaeke Emezi
- Jason Mott
- Essie Chambers
Would love to hear about any other authors or titles that fit this lane — especially debut or underrated ones!
by emotionallyonline
3 Comments
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, in particular *Half of a Yellow Sun* (which is based on historical events) and *Americanah*. Just received a copy of *Dream Count* for my birthday, but haven’t started it yet.
A Particular Kind of Black Man, by Tope Folarin
Have you read Tayari Jones? Or Brandon Taylor?