This October brings Black History Month 2026, so here are four book recommendations by Black authors you should read this month:
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
In a series of incredibly influential essays and speeches, Audre Lorde outlines the interrelation between racial struggle and feminist struggle, writing “there is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives”. In Sister Outsider, Lorde not only outlines her political and moral agenda against oppression, but it also calls out to her readers to use literature in a similar way: “poetry” as both the “skeleton” and “foundations” for change.
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Akwaeke Emezi’s Freshwater is told by a ‘we’ narrator, aligning with Igbo spiritual beliefs about the split self. Whilst this striking polyphonic narration admittedly did take me a while to grasp, it was very much worth it as Freshwater is an overwhelmingly rewarding novel. The story follows Ada, a young Nigerian woman who moves to America, exploring the fragmented yet entangled identities of Igbo spirituality and Western culture.
Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola
Love in Colour is an anthology of short stories based on traditional myths from various cultures; spanning from Nigeria to Persia, China to Ancient Greece. Babalola’s inspiration for the stories themselves offer a rejection of a sole mainstream focus on Greek and Roman mythology, by offering a vast array of cultural perspectives, propelling them into an accessible modern backdrop by adapting them into today’s setting.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
In this disturbing yet irresistibly entertaining thriller, Braithwaite confronts her readers with discussions around morality, the Black female body and family obligation– somehow managing to make you laugh along the way. We follow sensible, loyal Korede, whose vibrant, magnetic sister Ayoola just cannot stop herself from killing her boyfriends one after the other. Yet, when someone closest to Korede piques Ayoola’s romantic interest, Korede must decide whether blood can ever be that thick.
As Audre Lorde would write, literature always takes up space in politics, making it more important than ever to read diversely not only this Black History Month, but all year around. These voices are important not only for the sake of elevating Black authors’ space in the literary industry, but also because their subject matter remains moving in a manner that transcends genres; from thrillers to essays, short stories to novels.
“Audre Lorde” by K. Kendall is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
