69 new books by Black and POC authors out in 2021

In this ground-breaking book, Polish-Nigerian author Remi Adekoya paints a nuanced and refreshingly honest picture of the mixed-race experience in Britain that’s been sorely lacking in recent years. Rather than simply narrating throughout, Adekoya centres the individuals navigating the challenges that come with identifying as mixed race, exploring beyond the binary of Black and white. Interviewees include those from Jamaican-Indian, Pakistani-Lebanese and Iranian-Nigerian-British heritages narrating their own lived experiences in contemporary Britain. Interspersed with Adekoya’s engaging reflections of his own upbringing, crucially, Adekoya seeks to argue that being mixed race is a unique identity in and of itself.

Out in January

Two decades since the timeless classic The Coldest Winter Ever was met with rave reviews and became a bestselling cult classic, fans have anxiously waited for a sequel. Now unforgettable heroine Winter Santiaga, daughter of a prominent Brooklyn drug-dealing father, is finally back. Get ready to lose a few days of your life as you’re transported back into Winter’s world as she tries to reclaim her throne. Expect Sister Souljah’s addictive and page-turning prose filled with adventure and temptation at every turn. We seriously can’t wait.  

Out in April

In a pandemic that seen Black people and POC hit disproportionately financially, this genuinely useful guide couldn’t be timelier. Forget stuffy finance guides, this accessible and non-preachy guide is the first to tackle the real issues at hand including the pay gap disparities Black and WoC face. Written in a warm and encouraging tone, the founder of digital coaching platform Black Girl Finance takes the reader from baby steps to larger goals such as changing the money mindset you’ve inherited from your parents. Filled with goal-setting exercises, tips, tricks and real-life case studies interspersed with the author’s own experiences, this is the finance guide you’ll keep passing around your friends. 

Out in January

The disconnect between our public persona and real-life selves is explored in this utterly absorbing and standout tale. Featuring fragmented WhatsApp group conversations and text message snapshots, Baal’s scathing and acute observations of gentrifying London, trappings of modern life and a nostalgia for a city that no longer exists are a particular highlight. Baal’s witty and unconventional prose will hook you in right from the start.  

Out in April

The Guardian chief theatre critic has penned an extraordinary and deeply stirring memoir about tuberculosis, grief, sisterhood and mental health. When Akbar discovered that her sister had fallen seriously ill, she assumed there would be a brief spell in hospital and then she'd be home. It wasn’t until the day before she died that the family discovered she was suffering from tuberculosis. Moving seamlessly between time periods and locations, Akbar’s talent is how skilfully she captures what can sometimes be the fraught and complex relationship between sisters. 

Out in June

Split into 12 original stories, the Floridian writer astutely captures the violences of the female body of pregnancy, birth, menstruation and pregnancy. In one chapter, two estranged siblings take a road trip with their dead father’s ashes and are forced to reckon with all the ways he shaped and traumatised them while in another, servers at a supper club cater to the terrifying cravings of their wealthy clientele.

Out in March

In this magnificent collection of stories, the author and former Beijing-based correspondent vividly captures the desires and losses of a richly drawn cast while drawing on the realities of contemporary China. Hotline Girl, which charts a government call centre worker’s alarm as she finds herself speaking to a former lover, is a particular standout. In another, a delicious new fruit arrives at the neighbourhood market and the locals find it has a bizarre impact on their lives. 

Out in February

One of 2021’s standout debuts, this is the Get Out meets Devil Wears Prada crossover you’ve been waiting for. 26-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is exhausted at being the only Black employee at Wagner, the prestigious NYC publishing house. So when another young Black woman is hired in the cubicle next to her, she’s thrilled. That is, until anonymous notes pleading Nella to leave Wagner begin to appear on Nella’s desk and Nells hears about other Black employees who disappeared at the height of their career. Who’s behind the notes? Packed full of shrewd observations on power struggles and suspense, this is unputdownable.

Out in June

Edited by the author of the critically acclaimed The Incendiaries, this anthology of literary fiction features an all-star ensemble. Love, desire, power-play, and submissive-dominant relationships are explored in a variety of far-ranging locations including private estates, therapists’ offices, underground sex clubs, and even a Victorian-era sex theatre. Look out for contributions from Booker Prize nominated author Brandon Taylor as well as Roxane Gay and Carmen Maria Machado.  

Out in February

Set in contemporary New Delhi, fans of My Sister the Serial Killer, Parasite and Crazy Rich Asians will be enthralled by this riotous tale from the very first line. When Ramesh takes an exam for a lazy but rich teenager, he accidentally scores the highest mark in India and propels Rudi into stardom. But what happens when someone discovers their secret? A hugely entertaining and unique debut that satirically dissects India’s inequalities, expect outrageous escapades including blackmail, reality TV, kidnappings, extortion and the loss of a pinky finger.  

Out in May

In this compelling memoir about the erasure of racial identity, Lawton evokes a childhood where her Blackness was never acknowledged. After a DNA test shatters everything she once knew, the author goes in search of answers with white privilege, passing, beauty ideals and solo travel as a young woman all explored. Reflecting on her upbringing, the author gets at the heart of what it means to be otherised and Lawton’s narration is interspersed with interviewees whose identities have also been denied and erased. 

Out in February

Fans of Bryan Washington rejoice - the Dylan Thomas Prize 2020 winner and author of the critically acclaimed short story collection Lot (one of Barack Obama’s favourite books last year) returns with an impressive debut novel. Razor sharp writing on relationships and the family we choose, this riveting tale is split between the perspectives of Houston couple Benson and Mike. When Mike finds out his estranged father is dying in Osaka and his Japanese mother Mitsuko arrives in Texas for a visit, Mike and Mitsuko become unconventional roommates. But will Benson and Mike be able to repair their growing rift? Film rights have even been snapped up by the producers of Moonlight.  

Out in January

One of the standout essayists from bestselling anthology It's Not About the Burqa has penned a compelling and gritty crime thriller. Jian Khan’s London life is a long way from the Bradford streets she grew up in where her father headed up the Pakistani community and ran the local organised crime syndicate. But when her father is murdered, Jia must return to his community. Examining family dynamics, family loyalty, organised crime and patriarchal structures, what really makes for page turning reading is how well-drawn out the characters are while dismantling any existing biases about the role of women in Muslim communities. 

Out in March

In this riveting and introspective memoir, the author and journalist contemplates on the long-term impact of his Eton education as a young Black man who grew up in a white working-class area in London. Musa’s prose is deeply affecting and powerful, much like his other work in landmark anthologies SAFE and The Good Immigrant. Standout chapters include ‘Don’t Forget Us’ and ‘Invisible Walls’. Touching on privilege, the distribution of wealth and the intersections of race, class and sexuality, this has never been more timely and necessary reading. Fun fact: One Of Them marks the first full memoir focusing on a boy's time there published in the UK since 1972.

Out in April

This powerful coming-of-age thriller about a Native American girl, written by a member of the Native American tribe in Michigan, has already received rave reviews across the pond. Eighteen-year-old Daunis’s mixed heritage has made her feel like an outsider both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. But after witnessing a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to be part of a covert FBI operation. Raw and moving, the intricacies of family loyalty and who comes first are deftly and sensitively explored. Firekeeper's Daughter sensitively touches on crimes and lack of accountability against indigenous women in the Native American community and identity. Boulley has crafted a nuanced and refreshing protagonist - look out for the striking cover artwork too.  

Out in March

Set in Uganda in 1972, Kokolo Hill is an original debut charting one family’s escape after all Ugandan Asians are ordered to leave the county in 90 days and must only take what they can carry, give up their money and never return. As violence escalates in Kampala and people disappear, will newly married Asha and Pran make it to safety in Britain? The tale, touching on what it means to leave one world to create a brand new one, is inspired by the real-life 1972 Ugandan Asian expulsion and the author’s family history. 

Out in February

The perfect antidote to a year of solitude, this engrossing tale of a solitary woman reflects on what has been and lost. The protagonist wanders restlessly across a lonely Italian city from the trattoria, museums, coffee shops to the nail salon, reflecting on relationships and conversations with friends and ex-lovers, caught between the desire to belong but hesitant to form lasting ties. Haunting yet stunning prose, Whereabouts was written first in Italian and translated by the author herself. Lahiri has won a sleuth of acclaim for her previous books - she’s won both the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. 

Out in May