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| Bernardine Evaristo. Photo: University Utrecht |
Afro-European or Black Writers in Europe. A list of contempory writers, poets and spoken word artists
UK
- Beryl Gilroy (1924 - 2001), novelist - Novelist of the black diaspora and London's first black head teacher (Guardian)
- James Berry (1924), novelist - News for Babylon
- John Lyons (1933), poet - Poetry
- Mike Phillips (1941) novelist - Blood Rights (serialised on BBC TV)
- Buchi Emecheta (1944), novelist - The Slave Girl
- John Agard (1949), poet - Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry and Half Caste (video)
- SuAndi (1951), poet, known for Parents and National Black Arts Alliance on justice in arts funding
- Grace Nichols (1950), poet - Hurricane Hits England and Island Man (video)
- Linton Kwesi Johnson (1952), poet - Inglan Is A Bitch (video)
- Andrea Levy (1956), novelist - Long song (video)
- Benjamin Zephaniah (1958), poet - poems and Naked and reflects on his collection Too Black Too Strong (video)
- Caryl Phillips (1958), novelist - Crossing the River and Colour Me English and video
- Bernardine Evaristo (1959), novelist - The Emperor's Babe and Girl, Woman, Other
- Pete Kalu (1960), novelist - Liam Gets His Hair Cut (video)
- Zena Edwards (1960), poet - Laugh (video)
- Joe Pemberton (1960), novelist - Forever and Ever Amen
- Jackie Kay (1961), poet - The Adoption Papers and Old Tongue (video)
- Gabriel Gbadamosi (1961), poet/playwright/essayist, known for Vauxhall
- Joan Anim-Addo (1961) novelist - IMOINDA or She Who Will Lose Her Name
- Catherine Johnson (1962), novelist - Sawbones (interview)
- Malorie Blackman (1962), novelist - Noughts & Crosses
- Kadija George (Kadija Sesay) (1962), poet - Irki (Homeland in Nubian) - (video)
- Alex Wheatle (1963), novelist - Brixton Rock and Brenton Brown and Brenton Brown (video)
- Laura Fish (1964), novelist - Strange Music, Cape
- Aminatta Forna (1964), novelist - The Memory of Love (video)
- Anthony Joseph (1966), poet/novelist/musician - Tamarind (video)
- Karen McCarthy Woolf (1966), poet - An Aviary of Small Bird (video)
- Patience Agbabi (1965), poet - Telling Tales and for R&B and Josephine Baker Finds Herself (video)
- Lemn Sissay (1967) poet - A few books of poetry and Mourning Breaks in the Elevator (video)
- Leone Ross (1969), novelist - Orange Laughter and Free stories
- Mike Gayle (1970), novelist - My Legendary Girlfriend
- Sheree Mack (1971), poet
- Courttia Newland (1973), novelist - The scholar and Commonwealth Writers interview (video)
- Zadie Smith (1975), novelist - White Teeth (audio) and NW (video)
- Muli Amaye (1979?) novelist and short story writer - A House with No Angels
- Kat Francois (1980s) poet - BBC3 Poetry Slam Champion 2004 (video)
- James Massiah,(1980s) poet - Brixton Village (video)
- Nadifa Mohamed (1981), novelist - Black Mamba Boy (video)
- Roger Robinson (1982) poet - Ashes To Fire (video)
- Kayo Chingonyi (1987), poet - Rich Mix (video)
- Yvvette Edward, novelist - A Cupboard Full of Coats and video
- Inua Ellams (1984), poet - Candy Coated Unicorns And Converse All Stars (video)
- Helen Oyeyemi (1984), novelist - White is for Witching and Boy, Snow, Bird (excerpt)
- Warsan Shire (1988) poet - The London Story
- Dean Atta (1988?), poet - The iPhone poet and I Am Nobody's N*gger
- Jay Bernard (1988), poet - Jay Bernard at Apples & Snakes in Soho (video)
More
- What happened to Britain’s black avant-garde fiction writers?
- 20 plus new books by black and POC authors to put on your 2021 reading list
- 7 Black British Spoken Word Poets You Should Know (and Love)
France
- Édouard Glissant (1928 -2011) - writer/poet - Poetics of Relation
- Maryse Condé (1937 - 2024) , novelist - Ségou - Maryse Condé, nomade à la croisée des mondes
- Simone Schwarz-Bart (1938), novelist - Pluie et vent sur Télumée Miracle (video)
- Daniel Maximin (1947), novelist
- Gisèle Pineau (1956), novelist - La Grande dérive des esprits
- Simon Njami (1962)
- Abdourahman A. Waberi (1965)
- Alain Mabanckou (1966), novelist - Bleu-Blanc-Rouge (Blue-White-Red
- Marie NDiaye (1967), novelist - Trois femmes puissantes
- Fatou Diome (1968), novelist - The Belly of the Atlantic
- Leonora Miano (1973), novelist - L'intérieur de la nuit/Dark Heart of the Night and interview
More
- The End of Francophonie: The Politics of French Literature
- Interview with Performance Artist Dorothée Munyaneza
Germany
- May Ayim (1960 - 1996), poet - DOWNLOAD: Afro-German May Ayim’s writings and poetry on Black Atlantic
- Sharon Dodua Otoo (1972), novelist
- Olumide Popoola (1975), novelist/poet - When We Speak of Nothing
- Stefanie-Lahya Aukongo (1978), poet
- Philipp Khabo Koepsell (1980)poet
- Chantal-Fleur Sandjon (1984), novelist
Italy
- Pap Khouma (1957), novelist
- Gabriella Ghermandi (1965), novelist
- Ingy Mubiayi Kakese (1972), novelist
- Cristina Ali Farah (1973), novelist
- Igiaba Scego (1974), novelist - Meet black Italian writer Igiaba Scego
- Jadelin Mabiala Gangbo (1976), novelist
More
Spain
- Inongo-vi-Makome (1948), novelist - RebeldÃa
- Donato Ndongo (1950), novelist - Shadows of Your Black Memory (Las Tinieblas de tu Memoria Negra) and Conversation with Donato Ndong (English)
- Agnes Agboton (1960), poet - Edun and Gun (video)
- Sidi Seck, poet/novelist - Amina
The Netherlands
- Astrid Roemer (1947, novelist - Lijken op liefde/looks like love
- Edgar Cairo (1948-2000), poet/novelist - Oral poetry and film (video)
- Ellen Ombre (1948), novelist
- Antoine de Kom (1956), poet/novelist
- Clark Accord (1961 - 2011), novelist - Koningin van Paramaribo play
- Julien Ignacio (1969), novelist
- Vamba Sherif (1973), novelist
- Radna Fabias (1983), poet
- Raoul de Jong (1984), novelist
- Daphne Huisden (1988), novelist
- Simone Atangana Bekono (1991), poet
More
- Zwart; de eerste bundel met Afro-Europese literatuur uit de Lage Landen/Black; the first collection of Afro-European literature from the Low Countries
- 22 Zwarte Nederlandse spoken word-artiesten die je zou moeten kennen/22 Black Dutch spoken word artists you should know
Belgium
- Nele Marian (1906 – 2005), poet - regarded as the first Afro-Belgian writer
- Bessora (1968), novelist
- Chika Unigwe (1974), novelist
Zweden
- Cletus Nelson Nwadike (1966), novelist
- Johannes Anyuru (1979), poet - A Storm Blew in from Paradise (pdf) and review and Black is the New Black (video)
More links
A list of more than 30 Black European writers and poets you should know