This list is no longer being updated, please visit the UK BAME Authors & Illustrators page for an updated easier to use version
*last updated 10 February 2020*
When the list of books for the 20th anniversary of World Book Day in 2017 was released it was notable for being lily-white. I was surprised that a day purporting to celebrate books across the world was limited to authors that are from a small part of it and decided to take a look at British authors for children and young people in the UK that have a BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) heritage. While putting the list together I was helped in this endeavour by a number of brilliant friends and colleagues on twitter and facebook.
This list is not complete so if you have suggestions for more authors (*and edited to include illustrators) or if you are an author or illustrator with a BAME heritage then please do let me know in the comments beneath this post.
Sophia Acheampong
http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/author/Sophia-Acheampong/gd/Sophia-Acheampong.html
Dapo Adeola
https://www.facebook.com/DapsDraws/
Ade Adepitan
https://www.johnnoel.com
John Agard
https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/john-agard
Shweta Aggarwal
http://devandollie.com
Patrice Aggs
http://www.patriceaggs.com
Sufiya Ahmed
https://mbalit.co.uk/client/sufiya-ahmed/
Mehrdokht Amini
http://childrensillustrators.com/illustrator/mehrdokht1976/portfolio
Hamza Arshad
https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/134114/humza-arshad.html
Atinuke
http://atinuke-author.weebly.com
http://www.walker.co.uk/contributors/Atinuke-12281.aspx
Dean Atta
https://sites.google.com/site/deanatta/
Yaba Badoe
https://www.facebook.com/Yaba-Badoe-118504861506100
Rebecca Barrow
http://www.rebecca-barrow.com
Mary Florence Bello
https://bellapoetry.wordpress.com
Floella Benjamin
http://www.floellabenjamin.com/
Jasbinder Bilan
Malorie Blackman
https://www.malorieblackman.co.uk
Akemi Dawn Bowman
http://www.akemidawnbowman.com/
Sita Brahmachari
http://www.sitabrahmachari.com
Nathan Bryon
@NathanBryon
Aisha Bushby
https://www.egmont.co.uk/blog/egmont-pockets-debit-from-rising-star-aisha-bushby/
Tanya Byrne
http://tanyabyrne.com
Sarwat Chadda
Maisie Chan
Kandace Chimbiri
http://www.goldendestiny.co.uk/index.php
Joseph Coelho
http://www.thepoetryofjosephcoelho.com
Ellie Daines
http://www.elliedaines.com
Narinder Dhami
https://www.narinderdhami.com/
Casey Elisha
Nizrana Farook
https://www.facebook.com/NizRite/
Jamila Gavin
http://www.jamilagavin.co.uk
Rohan Gavin
http://rohangavin.com
Kereen Getten
https://www.instagram.com/kezywrites/
Candy Gourlay
https://www.candygourlay.com
Lorraine Gregory
https://www.lorrainegregoryauthor.co.uk/
Swapna Haddow
http://swapnahaddow.co.uk
Davina Hamilton
https://www.davinahamilton.com/
Sam Hepburn (see Sam Osman)
Ashley Hinds
https://www.ashleyhindswhdb.com/
Polly Ho-Yen
https://pollyhoyen.com
Konnie Huq
https://www.thebookseller.com/news/konnie-huq-pen-series-piccadilly-press-747021
Yasmeen Ismail
https://www.yasmeenismail.co.uk
Sharna Jackson
Danielle Jawando
Catherine Johnson
http://www.catherinejohnson.co.uk
Mariam K
http://www.lounge-books.com/contributors/2017/6/20/mariam-k
Nadine Kaadan
http://nadinekaadan.com/
Savita Kalhan
http://www.savitakalhan.com
Peter Kalu
http://www.peterkalu.com
Muhammad Khan
http://www.holroydecartey.com/muhammed-khan.html
Patrice Lawrence
https://patricelawrence.wordpress.com
Ayisha Malik
https://www.petersfraserdunlop.com/clients/ayisha-malik/
Sangu Mandanna
https://sangumandanna.com
Manjeet Mann
Irfan Master
http://irfanmaster.com
Taran Matharu
http://authortaranmatharu.com
Zanim Mian
http://www.sweetapplebooks.com
Kiran Millwood Hargrave
http://www.kiranmillwoodhargrave.co.uk
Poonam Mistry
https://www.poonam-mistry.com/
Rita Phillips Mitchell
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/member/rita-phillips-mitchell
Stefan Mohamed
http://stefmo.co.uk/wp/
Nick Mohammed
https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/authors/nick-mohammed/130313/
Wilf Morgan
https://sites.google.com/site/88talesv3/
Millie Murray
https://www.rlf.org.uk/fellowships/millie-murray/
Natasha Ngan
http://girlinthelens.com
@girlinthelens
Grace Nichols
https://www.poetryarchive.org/poet/grace-nichols
Tola Okogwu
Richard Rai O’Neill
https://richardthestoryteller.weebly.com/
@therroneill
Sam Osman
http://www.samosmanbooks.com
http://www.samhepburnbooks.com/
Serena Patel
Anna Perera
http://www.annaperera.com
Smriti Prasadam-Halls
http://www.smriti.co.uk
Yasmin Rahman
Bali Rai
http://www.balirai.co.uk/home
Leila Rasheed
https://leilarasheeddotcom.wordpress.com
Onjali Q. Rauf
Jasmine Richards
https://www.jasminerichards.com
Na’ima B Robert
SF Said
http://www.sfsaid.com
Annabelle Sami
https://www.andlyn.co.uk/annabelle-sami
London Shah
Alom Shaha
http://alomshaha.com
Alexandra Sheppard
Emma Shevah
https://emmashevah.com
Nadia Shireen
https://www.nadiashireen.org
Nikesh Shukla
http://www.nikesh-shukla.com
Ranjit Singh
https://www.lantanapublishing.com/ranjit-singh/
Rashmi Sirdeshpande
https://rashmisirdeshpande.com/
Emma Smith-Barton
Chitra Soundar
www.chitrasoundar.com/
Malaika Rose Stanley
http://www.malaikarosestanley.com
Tasha Suri
https://tashasuri.com/
https://twitter.com/tashadrinkstea
Tabitha Suzuma
http://www.tabithasuzuma.com
Meera Syal
https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/meera-syal
Alex Wheatle
https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/alex-wheatle
Nadine Wild-Palmer
https://www.pushkinpress.com/product/the-tunnels-below/
https://twitter.com/NadineWildPalm
Verna Wilkins
http://www.gov.gd/articles/spiceword/bios/verna_wilkins.html
Ken Wilson-Max
http://www.kenwilsonmax.com
Benjamin Zephaniah
https://benjaminzephaniah.com
Publishers
Dinosaur Books is an independent publisher that produces books for children aged 5 – 14. They aim to publish stories for young readers that combine exciting, page turning adventure with ideas that encourage readers to think.
Lantana Publishing is a young, independent publishing house producing award-winning picture books for children. Lantana’s mission is to select outstanding writing from around the world, working with prize-winning authors and illustrators from many countries, while at the same time nurturing new writing talent.
Knights Of publishes commercial children’s fiction – distributed through the UK, Ireland and Europe. We’re all about hiring as widely, and as diversely as possible, to make sure the books we publish give windows into as many worlds as possible – from what’s on the page all the way to sales copy.
We are passionate about children’s books and we believe everyone loves a good story! However, some children struggle to find books in which they see themselves and their experiences. So at Alanna Books, we aim to produce stories that are naturally inclusive of a wide range of people and experiences – so ALL children can enjoy them.
Tamarind Books was founded by Verna Wilkins in 1987 with the mission of redressing the balance of diversity in children’s publishing. Over twenty years later, the world has changed but the problem is still very relevant today. And so, Tamarind still exists to put diversity ‘in the picture’.
HopeRoad Publishing is an exciting, independent publisher, vigorously supporting voices too often neglected by the mainstream. We are promoters of literature with a special focus on Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. At the heart of our publishing is the love of outstanding writing from writers you, the reader, would have otherwise missed.
Our mission is to change the way we all think about African writing. We think that contemporary African prose should be rooted in African experience in all its diversity, whether set in filthy-yet-sexy megacities such as Lagos or Kinshasa, in little-known rural communities, in the recent past or indeed the near future. We also think the time has come to build a new body of African writing that links writers across different times and spaces.
An independent publishing company committed to producing beautiful, original books for children. Established in 2015, our energy and passion stems from our belief that stories act as bridges – providing pathways to new experiences whilst connecting us to here and there. Our stories are visually rich and conceptually meaningful. They give children unique perspectives on universal themes such as love, friendship and freedom and a greater awareness of the diverse and colourful world we live in. We have a range of books from Iranian authors and illustrators including two beautiful tales by Rumi and one from The Book of Kings. We are also developing a programme of intercultural projects, pairing authors and illustrators from around the globe.
Building on the powerful legacy of Verna Wilkins’ 30 years in the industry, Firetree books is expanding, updating and refreshing important messages for a new audience in today’s diverse classrooms and homes.
Firetree presents unselfconscious representations of all children. Our books aim to inspire and entertain readers by depicting the diversity and lives of children in our shrinking, inter-dependent world.
Jacaranda Books Art Music Ltd is a fresh and exciting new independent publishing house based in London. We publish adult fiction and non-fiction, including illustrated books, which cross linguistic, racial, gender and cultural boundaries – books in many ways as cosmopolitan as our city.
A list of inclusive publishers compiled by Chitra Soundar: http://picturebookden.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/inclusive-indie-publishers-by-chitra.html?m=1
The prize is unique in that it will be accepting entries published in the UK in 2016 by a writer of colour. This will include (and not be limited to) fiction, non-fiction, short story, graphic novel, poetry, children’s books, YA, teen and all genres. The prize will also be open to self-published writers. The aim is the find the best writers of colour in the country.