History of Black Writing

The History of Black Writing (HBW) has been in the forefront of Black literary research and recovery for over 40 years.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

Howard Rambsy II's book "Writing Black Panther: Ta-Nehisi Coates and Representation Struggles" was recently published on May 14, 2026! Congratulations on the publication, and to all those interested, consider ordering a copy.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

Octavia Butler was a groundbreaking science fiction writer whose visionary novels explored power, survival, and transformation through a distinct Black lens. Let her words from the "Parable of the Sower" remind us that change begins with us and shapes us in return.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 42nd Black novel, "Astonishing the Gods” by Ben Okri (2019) is a fairytale-esque fable follows the journey of a young man on an enchanted island to understand the secrets of visibility.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 41st Black novel, "By the Book” by Jasmine Guillory (2022) is a modern romantic comedy retelling of Beauty and the Beast that highlights the triumphs of love, acceptance, and learning.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 40th Black novel, “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison (1952) follows the turmoil of an unnamed Black man in the South after being expelled from college.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

We’re hiring! HBW is seeking a Post-Doctoral Fellow to join our team at Indiana University. This position offers an opportunity to contribute to collaborative, publicly engaged humanities work across institutions. Learn more and apply through the Higher Ed link in our bio!

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 39th Black novel, “In the Castle of My Skin” by George Lamming (1953) is a coming of age novel that explores the intricacies of the impact of colonialism on self and community in 1950s London.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 38th Black novel, “Foxes of Harrow” by Frank Yerby (1946) is a rags-to-riches romance about an Irish gambler and the three loves of his life: his wife, her sister, and his Black mistress.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 37th Black novel, “Sister, Sister” by Eric Jerome Dickey (1996) is a debut novel overflowing with humor, wit, and affection, detailing Valerie, Inda, and Chiquita's pursuit of love in L.A.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 36th Black novel, “Great Gitten’ (Up) Morning” by John Oliver Killens (1972) is a young-adult book about Denmark Vessey, who led the largest slave revolt in U.S. history in 1822.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 35th Black novel, “My Lives and How I Lost them” by Countee Cullen (1992) follows a cat in his ninth and final life recalls adventures that led him to lose the previous eight.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 34th Black novel, “The Third Life of Grange Copeland” by Alice Walker (1970) is Walker's debut novel about three generations of the Georgia-based Copeland family.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 33rd Black novel, “Moses, Man of the Mountain” by Zora Neale Hurston (1939) incorporates non-biblical themes and African American Vernacular English.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 30th Black novel, "Sassafras, Cypress & Indigo" by Ntozake Shange (1982), follows three sisters who pursue art and fall into and out of love as they search for meaning and freedom.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 32nd Black novel, "God Sends Sunday" by Arna Wendell Bontemps (1931) follows a boy born with a lucky caul over his face who rises in fame as a horse jockey and risks losing it all for a woman.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 31st Black novel, "Iola Leroy" by Frances Ellen Harper (1892), follows a young woman's whose life changes after discovering her African ancestry and is subsequently enslaved at the cusp of the Civil War

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

The 84th annual College Language Association Convention is happening NOW in Jackson, MS. If you’re in attendance, don’t miss the Closing Reception: Author Celebration and Meet & Greet on Saturday at 12PM co-sponsored by HBW!

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 29th Black novel, "The Learning Tree" by Gordon Parks (1963), tells the coming-of-age story of Newt Winger as he navigates life's lessons and grapples with systemic injustices in 1920's Kansas.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 28th Black novel, "Life on Wheels" by Carolyn Tillman (1975) unveils the haunting journey of a young woman, confined to a wheelchair by polio, mirroring the author's own life experiences.

[History of Black Writing @ProjectHBW]

HBW's 42 Books/42 Years exhibit features one novel per year since its founding. The 27th Black novel, "Oreo" by Fran Ross (1974), follows our titular character Oreo as she navigates her path to claim a birthright, sparking an unparalleled tale of self-discovery.