Mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King with our favourite BAME authors for young adults

Chasing the Stars, Crossover, Blade and Bone

Angie Thomas

Thomas’ incredible debut novel, The Hate U Give was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. It won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2018, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and is being made into a major film. Book reviewer Emily has described it as “powerful, striking and moving”.

Thomas’ new novel, On the Come Up is due out in June and will appear in our catalogue soon!

Patrice Lawrence

Orangeboy won the YA Book Prize 2017 and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017, was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award 2016 and longlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2017.

Lawrence’s latest book, Indigo Donut, has been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018.

Jason Reynolds

Long Way Down is a powerful and stunningly illustrated verse novel which was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in the US. Reviewer Emily has described it as “an unforgettable book that you won’t be able to put down.”.

Malorie Blackman

The former children’s laureate and author’s impressive backlist includes the multi-award winning Noughts and Crosses sequence:

Blackman’s latest standalone novel is Chasing the Stars, a space-based reinterpretation of Othello.

Alex Wheatle

Crongton Knights won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2016 and was shortlisted for the YA Prize 2017. The follow-up, Straight Outta Crongton, has been shortlisted for the YA Prize 2018 and described by reviewer Rachael as “a heart wrenching story of betrayal and revenge set in a run-down council neighbourhood”.

Wheatle is also the author of Liccle Bit. He has been described as a major voice in British children’s literature and was awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2008.

Kwame Alexander

American poet and novelist Alexander won the 2015 Newbery Medal for his verse novel The Crossover. The sequel, Booked, has also been well-received. A prequel, Rebound, is due out in May and will be in our catalogue soon!

Sita Brahmachari

Brahmachari’s first novel, Artichoke Hearts, won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2011. She completed the trilogy with Jasmine Skies and Tender Earth.

Tomi Adeyemi

Adeyemi’s debut fantasy novel, Children of Blood and Bone is inspired by the folklore of West Africa. It is one of the biggest YA releases of 2018 and has already secured a huge movie deal.

Catherine Johnson

Sawbones which won the Young Quills Prize for Best Historical Fiction (12+) and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2015, is “packed full of intriguing historical information and a brilliant portrait of the opposing forces at work in Victorian London”. Johnson followed it with a sequel, Blade and Bone.

Joseph Coehlo

Overheard in a Tower Block was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2018 and is described by publishers Otter-Barry was ‘a powerful and moving poetic narrative about growing up in the city’.

Coehlo won the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Children’s Poetry Award 2015 for his first solo poetry collection, Werewolf Club Rules!.