Friday marked the final day of Black History Month. Although Black excellence should be honored every day, here are five Black writers who helped change literature worldwide.
James Berry: Considered to be a poetry titan, James Berry made a name for himself by discussing immigration from the Caribbean to the U.K. from the 1940s on as well as the relationship between white and Black communities. Honored with the Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Berry published approximately seven collections of poetry, including “Lucy’s Letters and Loving” as well as “Fractured Circles,” mixing standard English with Jamaican Patois.
He remains to be one of 50 Black and Asian writers to be recognized as having an impact on British literature, according to the British Library.
Beryl Gilroy: Born in Springlands, British Guiana, Beryl Gilroy moved to the United Kingdom in 1951 to study Child Development at the University of London. Through her writing and activism to improve education, she became lauded as one of the most memorable writers to capture the first representations of Black London. Gilroy’s writings range from examinations of the impact of the British on the lives of West Indian families to children’s books.
Gilroy also published a memoir on her experience as a Black teacher in London; throughout her education career, she broke many barriers, becoming the first Black head teacher in London.
N.K. Jemisin: Considered to be the first Black writer to win the Hugo Award for her novel “The Fifth Season,” N.K. Jemisin is one of the most recent critically acclaimed science fiction writers. The author first began a career with the publication of “Non-Zero Probabilities,” a short story about a semi-apocalyptic New York City where a young woman needs to manage shifting probability theories, in 2009. A year later, Jemisin published her debut novel and the first of the Inheritance series, “The Hundred Thousand Kingdom.”
The critically acclaimed series follows the story of Yeine Darr who becomes involved in the ruling of the city of Sky following the murder of her mother. Through her writing, Jemisin has explored a variety of themes, including oppression and conflict amongst cultures.
Chester Himes: Known as the first nationally renowned Black mystery writer, Himes has inspired countless writers with his books. The author first began his career through his account of the 1930 Penitentiary fire that took the lives of more than 300 men. By writing, Himes explored numerous topics, providing social commentary on being Black in a white-dominated society and the racism in the labour movement. Once he moved to Paris, he first began publishing the mystery books he became notable for, publishing “The Crazy Kill” in 1959 and “Cotton Comes to Harlem” in 1965.
Kiese Laymon: A professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University, Laymon has published three full-length novels. His writings include “Long Division,” and “Heavy.” The latter is a 2018 memoir in which he documented the relationship between himself and his mother. The book received rave views upon its publication, earning a spot on the New York Times’ list of the best 50 memoirs released this past 50 years. Laymon also won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence for “Heavy.”
