List of black British writers

This list of black British writers includes those born in or associated with the UK.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Contents: 

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z
• See also

A

• Michael Abbensetts (1938–2016)
• Diran Adebayo (born 1968)
• Sade Adeniran (born 1960s)
• Lola Adesioye (living)
• Hakim Adi (living)
• Zoe Adjonyoh (born late 1970s)
• Rhammel Afflick (born 1994)
• John Agard (born 1949)
• Sandra Agard (living)
• Patience Agbabi (born 1965)
• Bola Agbaje (born 1981)
• Toyin Agbetu (living)
• Yemi Ajibade (1929–2013)
• Kehinde Andrews (born 1983)
• Joan Anim-Addo (living)
• Raymond Antrobus (born 1986)
• Dean Atta (living)
• Caleb Azumah Nelson (born 1993)

B

• Bolu Babalola (born 1991)
• Yaba Badoe (born 1955)
• Immruh Bakari (born 1950)
• Biyi Bandele (1967–2022)
• Francis Barber (?–1801)
• Kurt Barling (born 1961)
• Simi Bedford (living)
• Linda Bellos (born 1950)
• Floella Benjamin (born 1949)
• Jay Bernard (born 1988)
• James Berry (1924–2017)
• Hannah Black (living)
• Malorie Blackman (born 1962)
• Valerie Bloom (born 1956)
• Paul Boakye (living)
• JJ Bola (living)
• Malika Booker (born 1970)
• Lloyd Bradley (born 1955)
• E. R. Braithwaite (1912–2016)
• Jean "Binta" Breeze (1956–2021)
• Petronella Breinburg (1927–2019)
• Yvonne Brewster (born 1938)
• Constance Briscoe (born 1957)
• Nathan Bryon (born 1991)

• Victoria Adukwei Bulley (living)
• Barbara Burford (1944–2010)
• Margaret Busby (living)

C

• Candice Carty-Williams (born 1989)
• Gus Casely-Hayford (born 1964)
• Eddie Chambers (born 1960)
• Helen (charles) (living)
• Faustin Charles (born 1944)
• Michaela Coel (born 1987)
• Merle Collins (born 1959)
• Ottobah Cugoano (c. 1757–after 1791)
• Melissa Cummings-Quarry (living)
• Patricia Cumper (born 1954)

D

• Fred D'Aguiar (born 1960)
• David Dabydeen (born 1955)
• Stella Dadzie (born 1952)
• Yrsa Daley-Ward (born 1989)
• Ferdinand Dennis (born 1956)
• Ebou Dibba (1943–2000)
• Anni Domingo (born 1950s)
• Michael Donkor (born 1985)
• Nah Dove (born 1940s)

E

• Reni Eddo-Lodge (born 1989)
• Yvvette Edwards (living)
• Zena Edwards (born 1960s)
• Obi Egbuna (1938–2014)
• Inua Ellams (born 1984)
• Buchi Emecheta (1944–2017)
• Cecile Emeke (living)
• Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745–1797)
• Ekow Eshun (born 1968)
• Kodwo Eshun (born 1967)
• Melanie Eusebe (born 1977)
• Diana Evans (born 1972)
• Bernardine Evaristo (born 1959)

F

• Aminatta Forna (born 1964)
• Peter "Flip" Fraser (1951–2014)
• Pam Fraser Solomon (living)
• Lorna French (living)

G

• Mike Gayle (born 1970)
• Gabriel Gbadamosi (born 1961)
• Beryl Gilroy (1924–2001)
• Paul Gilroy (born 1956)
• Martin Glynn (born 1957)
• Salena Godden (living)
• Paul Goodwin (living)
• Colin Grant (born 1961)
• debbie tucker green (living)
• Bonnie Greer (born 1948)
• Ukawsaw Gronniosaw (c. 1705–1775)

H

• Stuart Hall (1932–2014)
• Leila Hassan (born 1948)
• Victor Headley (born 1959)
• Julian Henriques (born 1951)
• Lenny Henry (born 1958)
• Talia Hibbert (living)
• Donald Hinds (1934–2023)
• Afua Hirsch (born 1981)
• Jo Hodges (1959–2017)
• Darcus Howe (1943–2017)
• Marsha Hunt (born 1946)
• Ben Hunte (born 1992)

I

• Theresa Ikoko (living)
• Kenny Imafidon (born 1993)

J

• Sharna Jackson (living)
• Charlene James (living)
• C. L. R. James (1901–1989)
• Lennie James (born 1965)
• Delia Jarrett-Macauley (born 1958)
• John Jea (1773–after 1817)
• Gus John (born 1945)
• Amryl Johnson (1944–2001)
• Catherine Johnson (born 1962)
• Linton Kwesi Johnson (born 1952)
• Claudia Jones (1915–1964)
• Evan Jones (1927–2012)
• Darren Jordon (born 1960)
• Anthony Joseph (born 1966)
• Paterson Joseph (born 1964)

K

• Jackie Kay (born 1961)
• Oonya Kempadoo (born 1966)
• Peter Kempadoo (1926–2019)
• Roshini Kempadoo (born 1959)
• Jeffrey Kerr-Ritchie (born 1960)
• Dorothy Koomson (born 1971)
• Kwame Kwei-Armah (born 1967)

L

• John La Rose (1927–2006)
• George Lamming (1927–2022)
• Patrice Lawrence (born 1960s)
• Marcia Layne (living)
• Kevin Le Gendre (living)
• Andrea Levy (1956–2019)
• Errol Lloyd (born 1943)
• Lesley Lokko (living)
• Adam Lowe (born 1985)
• John Lyons (born 1933)

M

• Karen McCarthy Woolf (born 1960s)
• Adewale Maja-Pearce (born 1953)
• Nick Makoha (living)
• Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968)
• E. A. Markham (1939–2008)
• Una Marson (1905–1965)
• S. I. Martin (born 1961)
• Valerie Mason-John (born 1962)
• Mustapha Matura (1939–2019)
• Val McCalla (1943–2002)
• Jenny McLeod (born 1963)
• Michael McMillan (born 1962)
• Paul Mendez (born 1982)
• Kobena Mercer (born 1960)
• Bridget Minamore (born 1991)
• Dreda Say Mitchell (born 1965)
• Nadifa Mohamed (born 1981)
• Shujaa Moshesh (living)
• Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (born 1975)

N

• Courttia Newland (born 1973)
• Grace Nichols (born 1950)

O

• Michael Obiora (born 1986)
• Tolu Ogunlesi (born 1982)
• Chioma Okereke (living)
• Irenosen Okojie (living)
• Ben Okri (born 1959)
• Musa Okwonga (born 1979)
• Victor Oladokun (living)
• Lola Olufemi (born 1996)
• David Olusoga (born 1970)
• Rageh Omaar (born 1967)
• Nuzo Onoh (born 1962)
• Onyeka (living)
• Diriye Osman (born 1983)
• Sharon Dodua Otoo (born 1972)
• Tomiwa Owolade (born 1996)
• Derek Owusu (born 1988)
• Helen Oyeyemi (born 1984)

P

• Annie Yellowe Palma (born 1962)
• Ripley Parker (born 2000)
• Nii Parkes (born 1974)
• Cass Pennant (born 1958)
• Caryl Phillips (born 1958)
• Mike Phillips (born 1941)
• Trevor Phillips (born 1953)
• Woodrow Phoenix (living)
• Winsome Pinnock (born 1961)
• Hannah Pool (born 1974)
• Mary Prince (1788–after 1833)

R

• Barry Reckord (1926–2011)
• Advolly Richmond (born 1966)
• Joan Riley (born 1958)
• Na'ima B. Robert (born 1977)
• Calvin Robinson (born 1985)
• Roger Robinson (living)
• Nicola Rollock (living)
• Jacob Ross (born 1956)
• Leone Ross (born 1969)
• Jacqueline Rudet (born 1962)
• Shane Ryan (born 1969)

S

• Layla Saad (living)
• Amon Saba Saakana (living)
• Michael Salu (living)
• Ignatius Sancho (c. 1729–1780)
• June Sarpong (born 1977)
• Mary Seacole (1805–1881)
• Sam Selvon (1923–1994)
• Kadija Sesay (born 1962)
• Warsan Shire (born 1988)
• Andra Simons (living)
• Lemn Sissay (born 1967)
• Dorothea Smartt (born 1963)
• Zadie Smith (born 1975)
• Ade Solanke (living)
• Frances-Anne Solomon (born 1966)
• Paula B. Stanic (living)
• Nick Stone (born 1966)
• Andrea Stuart (born 1962)
• SuAndi (born 1951)
• Maud Sulter (1960–2008)
• Yinka Sunmonu (born 1962)
• Luke Sutherland (born 1971)

T

• Tade Thompson (living)
• Yvonne Thompson (living)
• Joanna Traynor (living)
• Carol Tulloch (living)

U

• Catherine Ugwu (born 1964)
• Yesomi Umolu (born 1983/1984)

V

• Ivan Van Sertima (1935–2009)
• Patrick Vernon (born 1961)

W

• Kit de Waal (born 1960)
• Marc Wadsworth (living)
• Jackie Walker (born 1954)
• Jools Walker (living)
• Onyekachi Wambu (born 1960)
• Robert Wedderburn (1762–1835/1836?)
• Alex Wheatle (born 1963)
• Verna Wilkins (born 1940s)
• Francis Williams (ca. 1700–1770)
• Henry Sylvester Williams (1867 or 1869–1911)
• Roy Williams (born 1968)
• Doirean Wilson (living)
• T-Bone Wilson (living)
• Ken Wiwa (1968–2016)
• Ansel Wong (born 1945)
• Trix Worrell (born 1959)

Y

• Henry Redhead Yorke (1772–1813)
• Gary Younge (born 1969)

Z

• Benjamin Zephaniah (1958–2023)

See also

• Black British people