Each year, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) along with Biblioboard, honor the best self-published EBooks in fiction and poetry by an African American author in the U.S.  BCALA has hosted this award for the last five years. Here are some titles to diversify your EBook collections.

Past Fiction Winners

(2016) Song of Blood and Stone: Earthsinger Chronicles, Book One by L. Penelope

            Reprinted by St. Martin’s Press.

(2017) Book of Addis: Cradled Embers: a Novel by Brooke Obie

            (Honor Book) Melting the Blues by Tracy Chiles McGhee

(2018) Sunshine in the Delta by Erica Marisa Sandifer

(2019) Daykeeper by Ran Walker

(2020) ChildBride by Jennifer Smith Turner

Poetry

(2016) Streetlights, J’s and Hip Hop: Making of a Poet by King Shakur

(2017) On Life by Jacqueline Nicole Harris

(2018) The New Lynchings by Adisa Ajamu II

 (2019) Love Songs on a Mixtape by Emeka Barclay

            (Honor Book) Reflection Within the Mirror by J. L. Malone

(2020) Soul Talks Heal: A Poem Before Sunrise by Star Jackson

In an effort to amplify black voices, we encourage you to add these EBooks to your collections, invite one of the poets to be a speaker at your next author program, purchase a book for yourself or gift one to a friend, or share information about the authors and this unique award with your networks.

Submissions for this year’s award will be accepted until February 28, 2021. Find out more information using the link below.

Literary Award – E-Book

Tiffany Duck is a public library manager who has a passion for helping the community. As the current Manager of Library Locations for Suffolk Public Library, she serves on the Library Executive Team and helps to make decisions regarding policy, customer service, facilities, service development and evaluation, budgets and staff development. She has always worked in different positions in the library as she loves the unpredictability of the work. She thoroughly enjoys serving others and participating in various initiatives that create a lasting impact within our communities. She is passionate about advocating for teens and disenfranchised populations. 

Since 2016, Tiffany has served as the Chair of the Self-Publishing EBook Awards for the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and the Co-Chair of the Literary Awards Committee. She received a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Virginia and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.  In her spare time she enjoys reading, traveling, learning languages, and spending time with her husband and two children.

#BlackIsBeautiful is curated by Shauntee Burns-Simpson.

Shauntee Burns-Simpson (MLIS) currently serves as the 2020-2022 President of BCALA. She is the Associate Director of School Outreach for The New York Public Library. An ambassador for libraries and Youth Librarian, President Burns-Simpson enjoys connecting people to the public library and its resources. She works closely with at-risk teens and fosters a love of reading & learning with her innovative programs. In addition to leading BCALA, she chairs the American Library Association Office of Diversity, Literacy, & Outreach Services (ODLOS) Committee on Diversity.