First celebrated in the UK in 1987, Black History Month was founded to recognise the contributions Black people have made to the UK over many generations.
Our Amazon Books Editors have worked closely with our colleagues in BEN, Amazon’s Black Employee Network, to build reading lists for Black History Month this October. BEN is an internal group of employees that champions diversity and ensures the perspectives of people of Black African and Caribbean descent are heard in our business.
This year, rather than focusing only on Black history books, we chose the books in our list to showcase some of the best Black British writing that we’ve come across in 2022. There were many more we could have chosen, so our selection is just some of our favourites, and includes inspirational stories, gripping crime thrillers, real-life experiences and moving poetry.
These books are aimed at adult readers, but if you’re looking for more suggestions you can head to our Black History Month hub.
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by Paterson Joseph
A stunning debut historical fiction novel from a well-known British actor, Paterson Joseph, focusing on the extraordinary but little-known story of Charles Ignatius Sancho. Sancho is brought to London as a slave, but escapes this terrible life to become an educated composer, writer and shopkeeper. He meets the King, is involved in the fight to abolish slavery, and becomes the first Black person to vote in Britain. Told with a wit that fans of Bridgerton will enjoy, this is an uplifting fictionalised account of the life of an often-forgotten figure in Black British history.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
Just Sayin’: My Life in Words by Malorie Blackman
The beloved author Malorie Blackman tells us about her life, but as you might expect from Blackman, this is no ordinary memoir. The Noughts and Crosses author relates the key moments of her life back to her guiding principles – wonder, loss, anger, perseverance, representation, and love. It’s fascinating to hear about life growing up as a Black girl in post-War Britain, including the racism and rejection she encountered, and how it never dampened her ambition and determination to become a writer. A beautifully written memoir.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
Settlers: Journeys Through the Food, Faith and Culture of Black African London by Jimi Famurewa
Jimi Famurewa, a British-Nigerian journalist, takes us on an eye-opening journey through African London. Post-1960s arrivals from Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe made London their home, and today their descendants are impacting British life in every field. Hearing the stories of these ambitious Londoners, we also begin to see a darker side – racism, cultural friction, and more. Jimi is a natural storyteller, presenting the complex experience of African-heritage Londoners in a sensitive and touching way.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
These Streets by Luan Goldie
When Jess is asked to move out of her house so that her landlord can sell it, the single mother and her two children are set on a downward spiral. As she struggles to keep her life on track and her family together, a hint of a happier future comes in the form of Ben, who meets Jess’s father while reeling from a break-up and the separation from his daughter.
This new novel from the author of Women’s Prize for Fiction-longlisted Nightingale Point is a heartfelt and compassionate portrayal of the pressures facing working-class families in today’s society, the precarious position that so many find themselves in from time to time, and the resilience and determination to make a better life.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
Manorism by Yomi Sode
The debut collection of poetry from Yomi Sode, Manorism, is a deeply affecting exploration of the experience of Black British men and boys; highlighting the impact of racism, colonialism, expectations around masculinity, and the pressures of modern society. Passionate and angry, rhythmic and beautiful, this is an important and moving work of contemporary poetry.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli
Another debut, this time of literary fiction by Nigerian-British author Onyi Nwabineli. On New Year’s Eve, Eve’s husband takes his own life, and she is left heartbroken and confused. While everyone around her seems to want her to move on, she is drawn to look back through her marriage to try to understand what happened.
A heartbreaking yet insightful portrait of loss and the various stages of grief and acceptance, Someday, Maybe is the kind of book that will stay with you for a while –you’ll find yourself saying repeatedly to friends, “I just read this book…”VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
A Visible Man by Edward Enninful
The extraordinary story of Edward Enninful’s life from his childhood home in war-torn Ghana to becoming an icon of the British fashion industry – not only British Vogue’s first Black editor-in-chief, but changing the way we view beauty through his revolutionary magazine covers and leadership. There was no easy path to get here, and Enninful’s determination to succeed through his struggles is truly inspiring.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
The Attic Child by Lola Jaye
The Attic Child follows a dual narrative, where two characters at different moments in time have found themselves locked in the same attic in a house in England: Dikembe, a young Congolese boy who is bought to be a rich Englishman’s ‘companion’ at the start of the 20th Century; and Lowra, a young woman who stumbles across Dikembe’s story in the 1990s and looks to find out more about him. We learn his story as she uncovers it, moving between past and present, and Jaye shines a light on an awful period of African and European history where colonisation impacted the lives and futures of so many.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
Fatherhood by Papa B by Bodé Aboderin
With so few parenting books aimed specifically at fathers and fathers-to-be, and even fewer written by men of colour, we were excited to see the release of Fatherhood by Papa B. Written from his own experiences in starting a family, Aboderin aims to change the narrative on what it means to be a father today, from breaking the mould of the generations that came before you, to challenging stereotypes and being an engaged and present father to your children.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
The Mixed-Race Experience: Reflections and Revelations on Multicultural Identity by Natalie Evans, Naomi Evans
Natalie and Naomi Evans are the founders of the anti-racist advocacy platform Everyday Racism (@EverydayRacism_), and their book explores the experiences of the mixed-race community in a world that seems to want to class you as Black or white, but rarely sees you as both. With practical advice as well as personal stories of their own and from interviews with others, The Mixed-Race Experience is an essential read.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
My Other Husband by Dorothy Koomson
Dorothy Koomson has written 17 novels, and her latest crime thriller is just as compulsive a read as the rest. Cleo decides to walk away from her ‘perfect’ life as a successful author and scriptwriter and wife before her secrets catch up with her, but she’s too late. As people around her start getting hurt, she realises she’s being framed, but a huge secret means she can do nothing to stop it. Beautifully fleshed out characters, strong tension and a big reveal make this another Koomson classic.VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
Wahala by Nikki May
Before Wahala was even published, it had been announced that it was being adapted for a major BBC drama. Then, it made various ‘2022 Books to Watch’ lists, and was announced as a Best Fiction Book of the Year So Far by The Times.
And for good reason; Wahala is a darkly comic, gripping novel exploring female friendships, with the added complexity of the women navigating life as mixed-race, middle class women in Britain. A fun, entertaining read with a delicious dose of drama, Wahala has been described as ‘Sex and the City with a killer edge’. VIEW BOOK DETAILS >
