Black authors that Canadians should be reading right now

There is no questioning that Canadian publishing has a lot more work to do when it comes to representing Black authors, and addressing racism in our industry, our communities, provinces, and the country as a whole. Amplifying the voices of BIPOC writers and artists is a key part of that, and, while there is far more work to be done, there have been waves of authors published in this country who have fought an uphill battle to be read and heard, and who are creating powerful work for future generations of readers and writers.

With that in mind, Open Book is sharing this limited and ever-growing list of Black authors who are have made an impact in the literary world, and beyond. We have been lucky to have had some of these writers contribute their words to the site over the years, and many who have their work mentioned in the columns and essays of other admiring authors, editors, educators, and publishers. 

These titles are shared with great respect and gratitude to these authors, who have contributed so much to our national literature already, and who continue to inspire and reach those who may not have seen their stories represented before, or may not have had access to them:

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The Skin We're In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power by Desmond Cole (Doubleday Canada)

Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada From Slavery to the Present by Robyn Maynard (Fernwood Publishing)

I've Been Meaning to Tell You by David Chariandy (McClelland & Stewart)

Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada edited by Rodney Diverlus, Sandy Hudson, & Cyrus Marcus-Ware (University of Regina Press)

Dear Current Occupant by Chelene Knight (Book*hug Press)

Black Life: Post-BLM and the Struggle For Freedom by Rinaldo Walcott & Idil Abdillahi (ARP Books)

Bread Out of Stone: Recollections, Sex, Recognitions, Race, Dreaming, Politics by Dionne Brand (Vintage Canada)

The Stone Thrower: A Daughter's Lessons, A Father's Life by Jael Richardson (Dundurn Press)

Black Writers Matter edited by Whitney French (University of Regina Press)

Black Berry, Sweet Juice: On Being Black and White in Canada by Lawrence Hill (HarperCollins Canada)

Shame On Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging by Tessa McWatt (Random House Canada)

Dreaming of Elsewhere: Reflections of Home by Esi Edugyan (University of Alberta Press)

After Canaan: Essays on Race, Writing, & Region by Wayde Compton (Arsenal Pulp Press)

Bla_k: Essays and Interviews by M. NourbeSe Philip (Book*hug Press)

Righting Canada's Wrongs: Africville by Gloria Ann Wesley (Lorimer)

Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada's Black Beauty Culture by Cheryl Thompson (Wilfred Laurier Press)

They Call Me George: The Untold Story of Black Train Porters and the Birth of Modern Canada by Cecil Foster (Biblioasis)

In the Black: My Life by Denham Jolly (ECW Press)

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Brother by David Chariandy (McClelland & Stewart)

The Unpublished City Vol. I & II curated by Canisia Lubrin, Dionne Brand, & Phoebe Wang (Book*hug Press)

Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson (Grand Central Publishing)

Any Known Blood by Lawrence Hill (HarperCollins Canada)

The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke (Dundurn Press)

Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis (Coach House Books)

What We All Long For by Dionne Brand (Vintage Canada)

The Dyzgraphxst by Canisia Lubrin (McClelland & Stewart)

The Stone Thrower by Jael Richardson, Matt James - Illustrator (House of Anansi Press)

Shut Up, You're Pretty by Téa Mutonji (Arsenal Pulp Press)

Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan (HarperCollins Canada)

Accordéon by Kaie Kellough (ARP Books)

I Have to Live by Aisha Sasha John (McClelland & Stewart)

Reproduction by Ian Williams (Vintage Canada)

Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid Benta (House of Anansi Press)

The Return by Dany Laferrière (Douglas & McIntyre)

Malaika's Winter Carnival by Nadia L. Hohn, Illustrator - Irene Luxbacher (House of Anansi Press)

Congotronic by Shane Book (University of Iowa Press)

Things Are Good Now by Djamila Ibrahim (House of Anansi Press)

The Pain Tree by Olive Senior (Cormorant Books)

How She Read by Chantal Gibson (Caitlin Press)

Red Jacket by Pamela Mordecai (Dundurn Press)

Newer Titles That Have Been Published Since This List Was Compiled

Gutter Child by Jael Richardson (HarperCollins Canada)

Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi (Arsenal Pulp Press)

The Snow Line by Tessa McWatt (Penguin Random House)

Ring by André Alexis (Coach House Books)

Word Problems by Ian Williams (Coach House Books)

Burning Sugar by cicely belle blain (VS Books)

Finish this Sentence by Leslie Roach (Mawenzi House Publishers)

The Gospel of Breaking by Jillian Christmas (Arsenal Pulp Press)

Dominoes at the Crossroads by Kaie Kellough (Véhicule Press)

The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk (Erewhon Books)

The Night Piece by André Alexis (McClelland & Stewart)

They Said This Would Be Fun by Eternity Martis (McClelland & Stewart)

Changing the Face of Canadian Literature - Edited by Dane Swan (Guernica Editions)

Black Matters by Afua Cooper and Wilfred Raussert (Fernwood Publishing)

On Property by Rinaldo Walcott (Biblioasis)

Saga Boy by Antonio Michael Downing (Viking)

For many of these books, and in support of independent bookstores, please make an effort, if possible, to order from A Different Booklist (Toronto), Knowledge Bookstore (Brampton), or any of the other Black owned booksellers in Ontario.