The best way to honour Toni Morrison is to continue her legacy by celebrating and supporting Black female writers. So here’s a thread of fantastic women whose work you should read.

.@yomiadegoke is one of the most interesting and exciting writers I know. Her commentary is always spot on, and has a way of getting you to think deeply about things we’re encouraged to take for granted. She co-authored Slay in Your Lane with the phenomenal @lizuvie.
.@salenagodden’s poetry nourishes the soul. She’s brilliant at recognising inequalities without ever being defeatist. There is so much joy in her words. And Salena’s autobiography is luminous from start to finish.
.@LawrencePatrice has written some of the most gripping YA fiction going in modern day Britain. Her characters are compelling and full of complications - their stories remind readers of how important compassion is.
I always recommend @JackieKayPoet - not just because she gave a blueprint for life as a Black Scottish lesbian, but because there is so much delight and generosity of spirit in her work. Every word counts. She’s also really funny. Proud that Jackie is our Poet Makar.
Another writer who definitely deserves celebrating is @KGuilaine. She’s insightful, compassionate, and observant. Her work is a rich resource on the psychology of racism.
.@renireni wrote one of the most topical and necessary books imaginable with Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race. It’s political but never esoteric - and, like all of her articles, a cracking good read.
Alice Walker gets a lot of appreciation - all of it earned. Her prose, poetry, and non-fiction are all spellbinding. Walker’s words offer a mixture of sustenance and guidance for Black women trying to find our way in this world.
.@Nnedi Okorafor writes such original, delightful stories. She’s unafraid to leave traditional genres or narrative styles behind, and her work is all the richer for being written entirely in her own voice. Mind-blowing stuff.
N.K. Jemisin is one of the finest fantasy writers ever. Her Broken Earth trilogy is fascinating, the characters and world both a joy to witness. If you haven’t read her books, read them. If you have read her books, do yourself a favour & read them again.
.@Sianaarrgh is a woman of many talents. The only thing better than reading her poetry is watching her perform it live. Her debut collection, Elephant, is outstanding. I’m looking forward to whatever she publishes next.
Yaa Gyasi seamlessly blends the past with the present with her debut novel, Homegoing. It’s one of the best debuts I have ever read, and you’ll wish that you could stay with every character. Read her writing!
.@IamTobiOredein is not only a fantastic writer but an innovator. In true Morrison spirit, she built a platform (@BlackBalladUK) that’s all about Black women’s stories. Her own work is especially poignant, and has a warmth that I find irresistible.
.@IrenosenOkojie’s books are unlike anything I’ve ever read. They’re lush worlds to inhabit, and her descriptive language is especially beautiful. She writes magnificent speculative fiction.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Please do add more Black women writers. But right now I am too tired to continue it, so am going to raise a glass to the one and only Toni Morrison.
Andrea Levy captured so many aspects of Black British life with her books. She wrote with a great deal of honesty and heart, as well as a distinctive voice. Every one of her novels is worth reading at least once.
Quite rightly, @angiecthomas is taking YA by storm. Her novels both have the power to make you laugh and cry. Although political, her writing is never preachy. Epic storytelling rooted in the magic of Black girlhood.
With Children of Blood and Bone, @tomi_adeyemi drew upon Yoruba culture to create a world filled with magic, power struggles, and the most exquisite range of characters. Her work embodies all the best possibilities of YA fantasy.
I first encountered @catwrote at @BareLit, and bought The Princess of Caribou straight away. Her writing challenges the ubiquity of whiteness in British historical fiction and tells so many fantastic, engaging stories.
.@Malikabooker's poetry is like feeling the sun on your skin. She weaves rich stories from deftly chosen words, and in my personal favourite poem explores a lesbian relationship between Ruth & Naomi from the scriptures: where you go, I shall go. Daring, woman-centric work.
A social worker, activist, and cultural commentator, @FeministaJones is a woman of many talents. She's also an excellent writer, and her book - Reclaiming Our Space - is essential Black feminist reading. FJ is amazing.
Negroland, Margo Jefferson's autobiography, is one of the most precise and thought-provoking books I've every read. Sharply observant, she paints an extraordinary picture of Black bougie life in 1950s America.
If you’re ever looking for books to restore your sense of wonder, everything and anything written by Maya Angelou will do the trick. She writes about life with such style and flair that you can’t help but feel delight.
You should also read books by the genre-bending marvel that is @YrsaDaleyWard. Her poetry and memoir are dazzling, and full of valuable insights into the politics of belonging.
The writing of Audre Lorde is more relevant now than ever. The lyricism of her poetry and incisive political analysis within her essays both give Black women the tools we need to survive in an increasingly hostile world.
.@malorieblackman will, in my heart, always be Britain’s Children’s Laureate. Her books cover everything from space travel to a world where the hierarchy of race is completely flipped. She’s a truly visionary writer.

More from Culture

@bellingcat's attempt in their new book, published by
@BloomsburyBooks, to coverup the @OPCW #Douma controversy, promote US and UK gov. war narratives, and whitewash fraudulent conduct within the OPCW, is an exercise in deception through omission. @BloomsburyPub @Tim_Hayward_


1) 2000 words are devoted to the OPCW controversy regarding the alleged chemical weapon attack in #Douma, Syria in 2018 but critical material is omitted from the book. Reading it, one would never know the following:

2) That the controversy started when the original interim report, drafted and agreed by Douma inspection team members, was secretly modified by an unknown OPCW person who had manipulated the findings to suggest an attack had occurred. https://t.co/QtAAyH9WyX… @RobertF40396660


3) This act of attempted deception was only derailed because an inspector discovered the secret changes. The manipulations were reported by @ClarkeMicah
and can be readily observed in documents now available https://t.co/2BUNlD8ZUv….

4) @bellingcat's book also makes no mention of the @couragefoundation panel, attended by the @opcw's first Director General, Jose Bustani, at which an OPCW official detailed key procedural irregularities and scientific flaws with the Final Douma Report:

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1. Project 1742 (EcoHealth/DTRA)
Risks of bat-borne zoonotic diseases in Western Asia

Duration: 24/10/2018-23 /10/2019

Funding: $71,500
@dgaytandzhieva
https://t.co/680CdD8uug


2. Bat Virus Database
Access to the database is limited only to those scientists participating in our ‘Bats and Coronaviruses’ project
Our intention is to eventually open up this database to the larger scientific community
https://t.co/mPn7b9HM48


3. EcoHealth Alliance & DTRA Asking for Trouble
One Health research project focused on characterizing bat diversity, bat coronavirus diversity and the risk of bat-borne zoonotic disease emergence in the region.
https://t.co/u6aUeWBGEN


4. Phelps, Olival, Epstein, Karesh - EcoHealth/DTRA


5, Methods and Expected Outcomes
(Unexpected Outcome = New Coronavirus Pandemic)
The YouTube algorithm that I helped build in 2011 still recommends the flat earth theory by the *hundreds of millions*. This investigation by @RawStory shows some of the real-life consequences of this badly designed AI.


This spring at SxSW, @SusanWojcicki promised "Wikipedia snippets" on debated videos. But they didn't put them on flat earth videos, and instead @YouTube is promoting merchandising such as "NASA lies - Never Trust a Snake". 2/


A few example of flat earth videos that were promoted by YouTube #today:
https://t.co/TumQiX2tlj 3/

https://t.co/uAORIJ5BYX 4/

https://t.co/yOGZ0pLfHG 5/