Female authors of colour

cakebythepound1234 · 17/03/2021 23:46

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid is brilliant, also loved American Marriage by Tyari Jones, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, and Queenie by Candice Carty Williams.

ConnieDobbs · 17/03/2021 23:35

If you like dystopian fiction then I recommend Octavia butler's parable of the sower and parable of the talents

JaninaDuszejko · 17/03/2021 23:06

@elkiedee

The Jhalak Prize is a book award for fiction and non fiction by writers of colour living/workng in the UK - the lists include lots of books by men and women. They've just announced the 2021 longlist last week, together with a longlist for a new prize for children's and YA books, which I'm interested in because I'm hoping it will include present ideas for my nephews, and also help other famiiies of all backgrounds find books which include pictures of black kids in picture books, and in books for older children and teenagers are more diverse.

Yeah, I thought it was a lovely idea to have a childrens/YA prize as well. Particularly liked that not all the books are issue led books. I don't think it's good for children to only see black children in books where they fit the stereotype of poor and urban. Why can't a black or asian child be the heroine in a fantasy world?

elkiedee · 17/03/2021 22:32

The Jhalak Prize is a book award for fiction and non fiction by writers of colour living/workng in the UK - the lists include lots of books by men and women. They've just announced the 2021 longlist last week, together with a longlist for a new prize for children's and YA books, which I'm interested in because I'm hoping it will include present ideas for my nephews, and also help other famiiies of all backgrounds find books which include pictures of black kids in picture books, and in books for older children and teenagers are more diverse.

Sootybear · 17/03/2021 21:28

I love reading women authors from different parts of the world. I get a bit bored of books set in the UK, although loved Girl Woman Other. I liked Jackie Kay, Trumpet and her autobiography, Red Dust Road. The God Of Small Things is one of my favourite books. I've recently read Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata which, although weird, does give you a perspective of one aspect of Japanese culture. It's so interesting learning about different cultures through fiction.

claracluck1978 · 17/03/2021 20:55

I'm reading Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. She's a great character!!!

mstrotwood · 17/03/2021 19:26

Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Uganda)

The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey - (Costa winner)

FlyingNorth · 17/03/2021 19:19

It's important because books by non-white authors are reviewed less, less likely to be promoted in bookshops and I think we also gravitate to books that reflect our own experience, so it takes effort to diversify.

OP, I would recommend anything by Toni Morrison, Becoming by Michelle Obama, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I also loved I Do Not Come To You By Chance, which follows a young man who is drawn into a Nigerian email scam. It's mostly quite light but gives a really convincing (and uncomfortable) portrayal of how a nice, intelligent young man could end up involved in such a thing.

Hazelnut5 · 17/03/2021 19:15

museums one reason I enjoy reading is that I get to see things through others’ eyes. I’m white, so I don’t get to experience what it’s like to be BAME through my own lived experience. I really appreciate being able to learn about it through well written books such as the ones recommended in this thread.

museumsandgalleries666 · 17/03/2021 17:54

Why don't you just read books that interest you, I don't understand how the author's skin colour can be important when choosing a book to read.

Hazelnut5 · 17/03/2021 17:49

Another vote for Girl, Woman, Other, Americanah, and God of small things.

I absolutely adored The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. It’s a young adult book but don’t let that put you off. It’s about a 15yo Afro Latina girl living in Harlem who expresses herself in a private notebook through poetry. The story is told through her poems.

Aworldofmyown · 17/03/2021 15:59

Brit (ish) - Afua Hirsch is a great eye opening book.

Happyelfjokeday · 17/03/2021 15:55

Some great suggestions above.
Couple of additions from me
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
(I loved Queenie)

DulciUke · 16/03/2021 12:05

If you like science fiction or fantasy, N.K. Jemisin.

Chinam · 16/03/2021 09:40

There are some fabulous recommendations above. I’ll add Celeste Ng.

Original poster

deedsnotwords11 · 16/03/2021 09:34

Excellent suggestions thank you!

OP posts:

Original poster

deedsnotwords11 · 16/03/2021 09:34

Sorry for the confusion - yes, I mean non-white women. I had realised that a majority of the literature I was reading was by white authors and often white male authors, so I wanted to diversify my intake as I don't think it's good

OP posts:

CreosoteQueen · 16/03/2021 04:47

The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
Beloved - Toni Morrison
I know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
An American Marriage - Tarayi Jones
A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara

TheBlackTower · 16/03/2021 04:24

@deedsnotwords11

I've decided to make an effort to buy and read books by women of colour (hope that is an ok term to use, I wasn't sure quite how to phrase it)

Has anyone got any recommendations for my list?
I'm not bothered whether fiction or non-fiction, I have very varied tastes! I have recently very much enjoyed Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Small Island by Andrea Levy.

Thank you for any recommendations!

Do you just mean "non-White"? I'm confused as to whether you would be happy to read, for example, a Black British author or are you looking for translated texts?

Soomanybooks · 16/03/2021 04:10

From Australia

June Winch
Melissa Lucashenko

DancelikeEmmaGoldman · 16/03/2021 03:43

I keep recommending Alexia Gordon’s Gethsemane Brown mysteries. They are so well-written and so enjoyable.

Standrewsschool · 15/03/2021 21:28

Michelle Obama

JaninaDuszejko · 15/03/2021 20:27

Not quite sure how strictly you are classifying 'women of colour'.

UK
Zadie Smith
Monica Ali Brick Lane
Bernadine Evaristo Girl, Woman, Other
Malorie Blackman
Jackie Kay Red Dust Road
Buchi Emecheta
(Later two might also be considered Nigerian writers)

Americas
Alice Walker The Color Purple
Toni Morrison Beloved
Maya Angelou's autobiographies
Laura Esquivel Like Water for Chocolate
Isabel Allende The House of the Spirits

Africa
Ahdaf Soueif The Map of Love
Clément Oubrerie and Marguerite Abouet Aya: Life in Yop City

Asia
Duanwad Pimwana Bright
Yōko Ogawa
Banana Yoshimoto Kitchen
Arundhati Roy The God of Small Things
Han Kàng The Vegetarian

Some websites that might be helpful:
A year of reading the world
Translating Women
Books and Bao

felulageller · 15/03/2021 19:57

Amy Tan
Aminatta Forms
Alice Walker
Maya Angelou
Audre Lourde
Grace Nichols
Toni Morrison
Monica Ali
Zadie Smith
Andrea Levy

Kote · 15/03/2021 19:51

Yaa Gyasi
Brit Bennett
Tayari Jones
Jacqueline Woodson
Toni Morrison