
In honor of Black History Month, PEN America staff selected some of our favorite titles from Black authors. Whether you’re hoping to celebrate literature’s greats or find Black History Month books for toddlers, these titles span generations and genres, but are united by their place in the canon of Black literature. We hope you’ll enjoy these books this month and all year long.
Fiction:
The Prophets by Robert P. Jones
A stunning debut novel about the forbidden love between two enslaved young men in the antebellum south.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
A classic novel with a new take on the coming-of-age story earning the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1978.
Long Distance Life by Marita Golden
Following three generations of an African American family in DC, Long Distance Life traces the history of 20th century African Americans beginning with the Great Migration.
James by Percival Everett
A modern retelling of Huckleberry Finn that gives agency and compassion to the character Jim.
Temple Folk by Aaliyah Bilal
This collection of stories portrays the lived experiences of Black Muslims as they contemplate race, religion, politics, and sex in America.
A Right Worthy Woman by Ruth P. Watson
Based on the inspiring true story of Maggie Lena Walker, the first Black woman to preside over a bank in the U.S., this novel reveals her riveting journey to success.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and based on the real story of a reform school, two boys sentenced to the Nickel Academy are faced with the decision of how to survive.
Poetry:
Love is a Dangerous Word by Essex Hemphill
A collection of poems from Hemphill’s only full-length collection, Ceremonies, alongside new previously unpublished poetry.
Thomas & Beulah by Rita Dove
Telling the semi-fictionalized chronological story of her maternal grandparents, this collection of poetry from the Poet Laureate of the U.S. traces the history of the great migration and the midwest through the lens of two lovers.
Native Guard by Natasha Tretheway
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, these poems take their inspiration from a regiment of black soldiers in the Civil War and confront the racial legacy of the deep south.
American Sonnets for My Past & Future Assassin by Terrence Hayes
With each poem bearing the same title, these sonnets explore the meanings of America, assassin, and love.
Unshuttered by Patricia Smith
A vessel for the voices of Black individuals in 19th century portraits collected by the author over two decades.
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song ed. by Kevin Young
Featuring biographies of each poet, this volume spans cities and historical movements to capture the breadth of African American poetry over two centuries.
No Sweet Without Brine by Cynthia Manick
Voted one of the best books by the New York Public Library, these poems highlight that a hint of sorrow when celebrating Blackness makes joy that much sweeter.
Nonfiction:
Black in Blues by Imani Perry
Using the world’s favorite color blue to explore its interconnectedness with Blackness, this book traces both to their roots in cultural significance while drawing on art and art history.
Just Us by Claudia Rankine
This assembly of essays, poems, documents, and images invites the reader into a necessary conversation about whiteness in America.
The Fire This Time ed. by Jesmyn Ward
Written as a response to James Baldwin’s groundbreaking The Fire Next Time, these contemporary writers reflect on race in America.
The Yellow House by Sarah Broom
A brilliant memoir of place, class, and race that centers around a New Orleans house but goes back a hundred years through family, relationships, and history.
The Black Box; Writing Race by Henry Louis Gates
The story of Black self-definition told by the writers who led the way dismantling the oppressive black box that America has assigned their race.
The Alchemy of Race and Rights by Patricia Williams
An eloquent autobiographical essay that reflects on the intersection of race, gender, and class.
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Linking the caste systems of America along with several other countries, this book displays how this system undertows daily life while offering ways to move forward as a nation.
Under the Skin; The Hidden Toll of Racism on Black America by Linda Villarosa
Laying bare the forces that cause Black Americans to “live sicker and die quicker,” this book is anchored by true stories and undeniable proof.
Black History Month Children’s Books:
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Vivid poems showing what life was like growing up a Black girl in the ‘60s and ‘70s between South Carolina and New York City.
There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds (Author), Jerome Pumphrey (Illustrator), Jarrett Pumphrey (Illustrator)
Celebrating the life and legacy of literary genius Langston Hughes, best-selling and award-winning author Jason Reynold’s debut picture book received both a Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor.
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Renée Watson (Author), Nikole Hannah-Jones (Author), Nikkolas Smith (Illustrator)
Chronicling the history of slavery and Black resistance, this lyrical picture book in verse provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on race in America.
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander (Author), Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
Originally published for ESPN, this poem is a love letter to Black America highlighting the perseverance of some of the countries greatest heroes.
Plays:
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
An award-winning drama on the hopes, aspirations, and struggles of a middle-class Black family living on the South Side of Chicago.
The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
Exploring the heart-felt dilemma in the Black community of holding on to symbols of the past or reaching for opportunities in the present.