Must-Read Black British Authors for Black History Month UK 2024

[@ferachol]

Great vlog- appreciate the reminder about Black British History month and the need to appreciate the works of Black British women writers across the diaspora- I saw some I knew (appreciate the reminder of their works - old and newer) and found out about new ones that have piqued my interest for sure. Someone I didn't hear you mention - (or I may have missed it, if I did, sorry) is Zadie Smith (she's got a historical novel out now - The Fraud - but her debut White Teeth is what put her on the map). And the late Andrea Levy is another (of the previous generation) who I recommend: Her historical novel A Small Place (which was made into a film and play) is quite good - Jamaicans in the UK during WWII, but she also has another historical novel - A Long Song, and the Fruit of the Lemon is another by her which has a more contemporary setting. I agree that Helen Oyeyemi provides a very different perspective - like in her novel The Opposite House, but she also plays with fairytales like in Boy, Snow, Bird. You've put together a great list for us, thanks again - and for those you will be taking on - happy reading!

[@Onemorebookpodcast.]

Thank you for mentioning Zadies Smith, she’s one of the big ones IMO.

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Unfortunately Zadie Smith is not for my personal taste. But she’s definitely one of the biggest Black writers in the UK! I honestly forgot Andrea Levy and I’ve mentioned her in past videos🤦🏾‍♀️ I have all of those books you mentioned because I have a feeling I’m going to love her work. Thank you for your recs!

[@teeteeteee_000]

yess come through new intro sooo gorgeous 🙌🏾✨🤎 and also a lot of the UK covers are so much more prettier than the US covers. i know a few people who would pay whatever they need to pay just to get the UK cover of their favorite books.

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Thank you girl it was TIME. Those old photos were upsetting me 😂 Yesss some of the UK covers be EATIN. I like to check eBay for a fair price on them.

[@yourewelcomebooks]

Also some more black British authors and books - If I don’t have you by Sareeta Domingo - love again - Rasheeda Ashanti Malcolm - Symona’s Still Single by Lisa Bent - One week in paradise by Anise Starre - Lost Gods by Micah Yongo - The secret diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by Patterson Joseph - The Confession of Frannie Langston by Sara Collins - the jigsaw man by Nadine Matheson - manny and the baby by varaizdo

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Thank you for these!! Lost Gods looks right up my alley. Manny and the baby has been sitting in my cart on Blackwells. It’s part of my order for books that aren’t out in the US that I refuse to wait for lol.

[@mariareadsssf]

Thank you for the recommendations. I ordered "The Confessions of Frannie Langton".

[@UpgradedTroglodyte]

Black British authors have truly opened a new door to me. Many of them make the most beautiful romance and stories full of depth. Also kinda cool to see the difference in culture and language. YOOO Malorie’s book needs to be in our schools. Queenie is one of the top books I have read. It flipped me and opened myself to my own assumptions and expectations. Don’t get me wrong, she pissed me off but everything she does makes sense given her trauma!

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Re: Queenie Exactly my point!!! Yes I want to keep discovering more of them because they have some unique stories and a different perspective. Black British slang be taking me OUT 😂😂 I love it

[@corruptauthor]

So excited to see a notification from your channel!!!🎉

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Thank you for watching ☺️🧡

[@Locd_Lioness]

New intro!!!!! I love it!!! ❤

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

I was wondering if anybody would notice 🤭 thank you! 🥰

[@AshleyBaxter-m6c]

Your intro is amazing.

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Thank you so much ☺️

[@louisity]

Thanks for introducing Kuchenga Shenje, Maame Blue, Victoria Princewill. Though the one I am about to share is not about Black British authors, BookedonCharity has a video about books by African authors that she plans to read in 2024.

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Okay

[@tee-tee172]

Amazing 📚vlog sis❗️❗️❗️🤎🤎🤎🤎

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Thank you 💜💜

[@CarraRenee]

Really enjoyed Love in Color. After reading Queenie, I'm good I will not be picking up another one of her books. I feel like I was catfished 😂 Helen books are definitely different had to dnf What is Not Yours is Not Yours.

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Omg can I meet any fans of Helen 😩 maybe I need to pump the breaks on continuing to collect her until I try one.

[@Secret413]

I liked Queenie for the same reason. The show was good too. Girl, Woman, Other is amazing. I hope you love it.

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

I’m so glad to hear this!

[@agl5132]

Dorothy Koomson is Britain's best selling black crime, thriller author.

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Thanks for sharing! I came across her when I was researching for this video. Looking forward to trying out her catalog.

[@pat_7870]

🇬🇧 🎊 Yay 🙌🏾 You represented Black British Authors for Black History Month ✊🏾 I’m British so I knew 😃 love your channel and recommendations always. You highlighted some good ones which I have read. They’ve just done TV adaptation of Mr Loverman on the BBC, check it out. I do US BHM in February, but I’m Blackity Black Black 365✊🏾✊🏾 Happy reading 📚🧡☺️🌹

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Thank you so much! And YES Blackity Black all year longgggg but matte Black in February and October 🤣 omg I saw the trailer for Mr Loverman and it has me wanting to pick that one up before girl woman other but I don’t own that one. I’m trying to prioritize these physical books but it’s HARD 😂

[@louisaaugustine9839]

Loved the Lonely Londoners, not so keen on Girl, Woman, Other but absolutely loved Mr. Loverman which has also been turned into a TV series

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Interesting. What didn’t you like about Girl woman other?

[@louisaaugustine9839]

@@ChocolateCoveredPages Found it really hard to get into and didn't enjoy the characters, whereas I loved Mr. Loverman

[@olathafletcher7689]

Great vlog!❤🙌🏾

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Thank you 😊

[@aprilarnold1564]

Great vlog!!

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Thank you 😊

[@chkmebu]

I enjoyed Queenie. Although I had my gripes about some parts of the story, I still enjoyed it. Unpopular opinion, but I also really enjoyed People Person.

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Happy to see someone loved people person. I’m pretty curious to see where I fall.

[@louisaaugustine9839]

Most of Malorie Blackman books are great and I love that she writes for all ages

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Oh that’s interesting! I thought she only wrote YA. I’d be keen to check out some adult fiction from her

[@louisaaugustine9839]

@ChocolateCoveredPages Yes majority of her books YA but I can read and enjoy as an adult, also the Noughts and Crosses series has some very mature topics

[@Onemorebookpodcast.]

You’ve mentioned really great authors. I own a copy of 'Queenie' & you talking about it has just reminded me of that. And we tried reading 'Peaces' by Helen Oyeyemi but we all gave up 🙈😂. I would recommend Talia Hibbert if you are looking for a black UK romance author. I loved the 'Brown Sisters' series.

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

🤣🤣 omgggg Peace’s was that bad?! Sheesh!

[@yourewelcomebooks]

❤love this is great to see my US people celebrating British black history month. 🇬🇧🎉 I have to agree first time reading Queenie I hated it then when I actually deeped the text and evaluated it I gain a better appreciation for it. I have to say that I like the TV show more because it had a bit more black male representation Can’t wait for you to read people person because I LOVED that book

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Happy to see another person loved people person! Yall are giving me hope 😂 More Black men in Queenie? That’s great to hear

[@shadesnpages]

Totally forgot it was Black History Month in the UK

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Yup!

[@triggadaleforever3329]

🔥📚🔥📚🔥

[@BrynnD]

I enjoyed Honey & Spice although fake dating annoys the hell out of me. lol… I have Rootless on my physical TBR. I cannot wait to get to it. I enjoyed Queenie a little bit. I liked the series better than the book. I want to read People Person. Ace of Spades was so good! I have Where Sleeping Girls lie. I feel like since I’m reading them so far apart… I may not catch the similarities. My favorite book is MAAME by Jessica George

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

Oh I can’t wait for you to read Rootless! I need more people talking about it. Everytime I bring up Maame half people say they love it and the other half hate it 😩 I’m curious to see where I’m at

[@BrynnD]

@@ChocolateCoveredPages a lot of people that I’ve run across that says hates it was because they said it was a slow burn. It’s a coming of age story. I don’t know what type of fast paced action they want to see in that type of novel. 🫣

[@ChocolateCoveredPages]

😩😂😂😂 That makes soooo much sense now! They walked right into that one 🤦🏾‍♀️ I didn’t know it was coming of age.

[@BrynnD]

@@ChocolateCoveredPages yup!!

[@louisaaugustine9839]

If you like romance check out Talia Hibbert

[@UpgradedTroglodyte]

I co-sign this! Just good, light romance. Start with “The Roommate Risk” or “Act your age, Eve Brown”. I love most of her audio readers too!