Black writing

Poetry & other literary writing [LIT]

Authors | A | B | D| G | H | J | M | N | P | S | W | Z |
 

Andwele, Adisa [UK]

Antiquity [821 Andwele]
Peepal tree, 2002

Angelou, Maya [USA]

Just give me a cool drink of water ‘fore I diiie [811.54 LIT]
Virago, 2003
Poems of love and regret, of racial strife and confrontation, songs of the people and songs of the heart - all are charged with Maya Angelou's zest for life and her rage at injustice.

Wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now [814 Angelou LIT]
Virago, 1994/Virago, 1995
Here, writer and poet Maya Angelou writes about family, argues for spirit and grace, insists on the importance of laughter and style and reflects on brutality and crime.

Burnett, Paula (ed.)

Penguin book of Caribbean verse in English [821.008 LIT]
Penguin, 1986
Over the last few decades Caribbean writers - performance poets, newspaper poets, singer-songwriters - have created a genuinely popular art form, a poetry heard by audiences all over the world. This anthology traces Caribbean verse from its roots to the present. 

Dawes, Kwame [Jamaica]

Selected poems [821.914]
Peepal Tree, 2002

Harper, Michael S. (ed)

The Vintage book of African-American poetry [811.008 LIT]
Vintage, 2000
The volume assembles the history of black poets in America. This burgeoning literature has encompassed many different styles and visions which have been arranged in this anthology.

Hughes, Langston [USA]

Selected poems of Langston Hughes [811.52 LIT]
Serpent's Tail, 1999

Johnson, Linton Kwesi [UK]

Mi revalueshanary fren : selected poems [821 Johnson LIT]
Penguin, 2002
This is a selection of Johnson's poems over three decades, ranging from protests against police brutality, to eulogies for departed friends or playful celebrations of urban life.

McCarthy, Karen (ed)

Bittersweet: contemporary black women’s poetry [821.00809287 LIT]
Women’s Press, 1998
Published to coincide with Black History Month 1998, Bittersweet presents a collection of contemporary black women's poetry. Featured poets include Alice Walker, Patience Agbabi, Debjani Chatterjee, Grace Nichols and Shamshad Khan

Newland, Courttia (ed)

IC3: The Penguin book of new black writing in Britain [820.8896 LIT]
Hamish Hamilton, 2000
This collection of new writing commissioned from British writers of African descent is divided into three main sections, reflecting first, second & third generations. It focuses on four types of writing - poetry, short fiction, essays & memoirs.

Okri, Ben [Nigeria]

Mental fight [821 Okri LIT]
Phoenix, 2000
Published to coincide with millennium celebrations, this is an epic poem by the author of Astonishing the Gods, Dangerous Love, Infinite Riches and Birds of Heaven.

Price, Richard [USA]

Lucky day [821.214 LIT]
Carcanet Press, 2005
This collection combines wit and warmth with a series of deeply affecting poems that chronicle his experience as the father of a child with severe learning difficulties.

Sapphire [USA]

American dreams [811.54 LIT]
Serpent's Tail, 1994

Walcott, Derek [St. Lucia]

Collected poems 1948-1984 [821 Walcott LIT]
Faber, 1992

The prodigal [811.54]
Faber, 2005
One of the world's most celebrated poets, this collection from Derek Walcott explores themes of exile and belonging, brought about by wanderlust and the inevitable pull of home.

Zephaniah, Benjamin [UK]

City psalms [821 Zephaniah LIT]
Bloodaxe, 1992

Propa propaganda [821 Zephaniah LIT]
Bloodaxe, 1996

Too black, too strong [821 Zephaniah LIT]
Bloodaxe, 2001
Benjamin Zephaniah is one of Britain's most popular poets. In his first new book of poems for five years, he addresses the problems of black Britain more forcefully than in previous books.