This Black History Month, we're shining a light on titles by inspirational and influential black authors
This month we're celebrating Black History Month. As avid bookworms, it got us thinking: who was the first black person to have been published in Britain?
After some digging around, we discovered the inspiring story of Ignatius Sancho. Born into slavery, he not only became a writer but was also the first black person to vote in a British election and an influential figure in 18th century Britain. Check out our video sharing his story.
This month, we're sharing our top 10 contemporary black writers, with a focus on fiction authors. Black authors are under-represented in the world of publishing. In recent years, the literary world has made strides towards celebrating and supporting young black authors, though there is still much further to go to reach equality in literature.
We want to help discover black writers across genres and styles, uplifting unique voices and sharing fresh, new stories. Check out our picks for the top 10 contemporary black writers, and share your own favourites.