black authors
-
Jalen Hurts and Our Other Favorite Children’s Books Written By Black Celebrities
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Taraji P. Henson, Mary J. Blige and Serena Williams are just a few of our favorite Black celebrities who have written books for kids.
-
Books by Black LGBTQ+ Authors To Explore This Pride Month
In honor of Pride Month 2025, we've some of our favorite books by Black LGBTQ+ authors
-
After Writing a New Chapter for Georgia, Stacey Abrams Is Publishing a New Legal Thriller
One of the most fun facts about Stacey Abrams, the attorney, political powerhouse, voting rights activist and former (and possibly future) gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, is that she’s also a prolific author. In fact, over the past two decades, she’s quietly written eight popular romance novels under the pseudonym “Selena Montgomery” in addition to her…
-
'Suddenly, You See the Story More Clearly': The Root Presents: It's Lit Talks Transcendent Writing With Yaa Gyasi
“I always say, writing a first novel, you feel like you’re writing in the dark, unsure of whether or not your book will ever see the light of day,” says author Yaa Gyasi, who has written not one but two bestsellers since 2016, when her debut novel Homegoing was published by Penguin Random House. An…
-
The Root Presents It's Lit!: What We Read to Get Us Through 2020
Merry Christmas or whatever you’re celebrating this holiday weekend, Bibliophiles! Understandably, you may not be able to celebrate in person with loved ones this year, but we hope you’re still finding comfort and joy—perhaps in the pages of a good book? There may not have been much to celebrate in 2020, but there was an…
-
Got 99 Problems, but a Book Ain't One: Jay-Z's Roc Nation and Random House to Launch 'Roc Lit 101'
If the ongoing pandemic has reignited your passion for reading (or simply deepened it), say no more, Fam. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has already Decoded his lyrics in book form, but now, the company he founded will add to its (and his) multimedia entertainment empire, announcing a new publishing partnership with Random House, a division of…
-
'It's Not That Much to Write a Novel': The Root Presents It's Lit! Unlocks the Mystery of Writing With Walter Mosley
Walter Mosley may be best known for writing mysteries—though his bestselling Easy Rawlins series are among the dozens of works across genres that he’s produced in the past 30 years. But the prolific author doesn’t believe there’s any mystery to writing—or any core requirements to become a writer. “I think that, you know, because the…
-
Authors Raven Leilani, James McBride, and Editor Chris Jackson Win Honors From the Center for Fiction
Toni Morrison would be proud. The Center for Fiction’s Annual Awards Benefit was dedicated to the memory of the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, who died in August 2019. But the virtual event, emceed by comedian, author and Insecure co-star Yvonne Orji on Thursday night, also subtly celebrated Black voices, lives and creativity, as evidenced by several…
-
Learn Writing With a Master: Walter Mosley Is Sharing His Creative Process on MasterClass
If you’ve been trying to decipher the mystery behind writing great fiction, let acclaimed mystery writer Walter Mosley be your guide. Actually, Mosley, who this year became the first Black man to receive the National Book Award’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters for lifetime achievement in writing has written far more than mysteries…