Listen Live
CLOSE

Several acclaimed Black authors have created influential works that must be celebrated on national Read A Book Day, which fell on Thursday.

The special day is the perfect opportunity for book lovers to curl up with their favorite reads or discover new pieces of literature. It’s an occasion to drop everything and read for a few hours without interruption. It’s also a time to pretend to be the main character, visualize a scene or just get lost in a story. With everything going on in the world, an escape into the written word is welcomed.

For those who want to learn more about a particular subject or issues affecting Black communities, books are a rich resource for that, too. Some of today’s most notable writers have tackled the toughest of problems in their work in an effort to cope, inspire and create revelatory moments. There’s a lot of information that will forever stick in someone’s mind with reading some of the best-sellers on the bookshelves, in stores and accessible through apps. There’s also a lot of inspiration in browsing these works, especially for people who want to go on to create masterpieces of their own.

With that said, here are 15 of some of the most creative, knowledgeable and powerful Black writers whose stories have made a strong impression on the world.

Read A Book Day: 15 Acclaimed And Unapologetically Black AuthorsĀ  was originally published on newsone.com

1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2. Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates

3. Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas

4. Michael Eric Dyson

Michael Eric Dyson

5. Tayari Jones

Tayari Jones

6. Cornel West

Cornel West

7. Michelle Alexander

Michelle Alexander

8. Marc Lamont Hill

Marc Lamont Hill

9. Janet Mock

Janet Mock

10. Kiese Laymon

Kiese Laymon

11. Jesmyn Ward

Jesmyn Ward

12. Jericho Brown

Jericho Brown

13. Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson

14. Colson Whitehead

Colson Whitehead

15. Terry McMillan

Terry McMillan