4 ‘‘Must-Read” Books by Black Authors for People interested in African Literature

Reading list 2019

Last year, I made the conscious decision to read more books by black authors. Why? Well, for the simple reason that I’ve only read a handful of books written by black authors despite being a rather fervent reader. Looking back at my reading history, and the type of books I am usually drowned to, it became quite obvious that I had never really considered books by black authors as an option.

My very first intro to a black author was about 3 years ago and even though she was already well known by then, I was not familiar with her work, so when I picked up Americanah following a recommendation from one of my favourites Youtuber I really had no expectations whatsoever.

As you can imagine, it certainly did not disappoint. Just like that, Americanah became my favourite book and made me curious to discover more books by black authors. One of the things I loved about Americanah was how relatable some of the characters were. It made me yearn for more stories from the perspective of Black authors.

Fast forward to 2019, here are some of the books I read last year which have each inspired in their very own way:

Ser mujer negra en España by Desirée Bela-Lobedde

This was the first book I ever read in Spanish. It was gifted to me by a colleague. Boy, what a great gift it was. This is an autobiography written by Desirée Bela-Lobedde to share her experience growing up and living in Barcelona. This book came at such a great time in my life as I had just moved to Spain.

The book is divided into different chapters that detail different periods of time in the writer’s life, going from her childhood in Barcelona to her hair journey, and her love life… I loved the fact that it was very easy to read, and above all very relatable. It reminded me how similar the black experience is for all the people in the diaspora no matter what age we are, what African country we originally come from or even and where we end up living.

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

I read this book over the Summer, by the beach and I feel like it was the perfect setting for it. Queenie is a contemporary tale of 20 something, British-Caribbean woman, navigating through life the best way she possibly can following a difficult break-up. Queenie is a page-turner. It’s a book you want to read on holiday, it’s refreshing, it’s funny but at the same time, it deals with current issues such as low self-worth, mental health, sexual abuse, the black experience in the UK and much more.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

In this book, 2019 Booker Prize winner Evaristo tells the story of 12 black women at different points in time as they all navigate through life. All the characters deal with their very own struggle, but somehow it all intertwines and revolves around issues such as racism, sexism, xenophobia, ageing…

Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe

I have been meaning to read this book for years but never got round to. In November, I finally found the time to read this masterpiece. This is just a classic. I know many young people in the UK often have it as part of their reading list, but I would argue it should be in EVERY kid’s reading list. It tells a story set in pre-colonialism time, following the life of a patriarch called Okonkwo before and after the invasion of the missionaries.

Despite being a fictional story, it really brings real historical context into the process of colonisation.

In the past year, I have been very captivated about pre-colonial times and the long-lasting impact it still has on our lives. This book provided me with so much valuable insights into such an infamous and untold part of our history.