Credit: courtesy of publishers
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11 non-fiction books by Black authors to read this month, from Viola Davis to Samantha Irby
By Amy Beecham
7 months ago
4 min read
From essays on finding yourself to a Black, queer and feminist mandate for radical movements, here are 11 of the best non-fiction books by Black authors to have on your radar.
When was the last time you read a really good non-fiction title? Because yes, it’s a lovely thing to have our attention captured by a romantic novel or moved by a tale of human resilience, but non-fiction books are often the ones that stay with us long after we’ve put them down. Not only do they have the power to educate and teach us, they can also inspire, make us laugh out loud and provide comfort when the world around us feels difficult to comprehend.
From Viola Davis’ Grammy-winning memoir to Samantha Irby’s hilarious and bestselling essay collection, here are 11 of the best non-fiction books by Black authors to have on your radar this Black History Month.
Token Black Girl: A Memoir by Danielle Prescod
Shop Token Black Girl: A Memoir by Danielle Prescod at Blackwells, £14.99
Wildflower: A Memoir by Aurora James
A Visible Man by Edward Enninful
Shop A Visible Man by Edward Enninful at Bookshop.org, £10.99
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby
Quietly Hostile is straight-talking comic and essayist Irby’s third collection of witty and relatable stories, following her as she dodges calls from Hollywood and “flop sweats” on the red carpet at premieres (well, one premiere). After fleeing Chicago to quarantine at home in Michigan, Irby finds herself bleaching groceries and wondering if her upper lip hairs are visible on Zoom.
Shop Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby at Bookshop.org, £9.99
Finding Me by Viola Davis
The Grammy-winning memoir from Viola Davis is a startlingly honest and, at times, jaw-dropping read, charting her rise from poverty and abuse to becoming the first African-American to win the triple crown of an Oscar, Emmy and Tony for acting.
How Far You Have Come: Musings On Beauty And Courage by Morgan Harper Nichols
How Far You Have Come is an illustrated collection of poetry and essays from bestselling artist and writer Morgan Harper Nichols. In it, Harper Nichols weaves together personal reflections with her signature poems to share her journey to reclaim moments of brokenness, division, and pain and re-envision them as experiences of reconciliation, unity and hope.
Shop How Far You Have Come: Musings On Beauty And Courage by Morgan Harper Nichols on Amazon, £12.99
Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, And Feminist Mandate For Radical Movements by Charlene Carruthers
Drawing on Black intellectual and grassroots organizing traditions, including the Haitian Revolution, the US civil rights movement, and LGBTQ+ rights and feminist movements, Unapologetic challenges all of us engaged in the social justice struggle to make the movement for Black liberation more radical, more queer and more feminist.
Black Joy by Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff and Timi Sotire
Edited by award-winning journalist Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, 28 iconic voices including Munya Chawawa, Travis Alabanza, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Diane Abbott speak on what Black joy means to them in this uplifting and empowering anthology.
Shop Black Joy by Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff and Timi Sotire at Bookshop.org, £8.99
Wake: The Hidden History Of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall
Women warriors planned and led revolts on slave ships during the Middle Passage. They fought their enslavers throughout the Americas. And then they were erased from history. Part graphic novel, part memoir, Wake chronicles scholar Rebecca Hall’s efforts to uncover the truth about these women who, until now, have been left out of the record.
Shop Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall at Bookshop.org, £20
Black Women Writers At Work by Claudia Tate
Through candid interviews with the likes of Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, Kristin Hunter, Gayl Jones, Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker, the book highlights the work and lived experiences of Black women writers whose work laid the foundation for many who have come after.
Shop Black Women Writers At Work by Claudia Tate at Bookshop.org, £19.99
Black Love Matters: Real Talk On Romance, Being Seen, And Happily Ever Afters by Jessica P. Pryde
Black Love Matters is an incisive, intersectional essay anthology that celebrates and examines romance and romantic media through the lens of Black readers, writers, and cultural commentators, edited by Book Riot columnist and librarian Jessica Pryde.
Images: courtesy of publishers
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