Well-Read Black Girl

Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves

By: Glory Edim

Narrated by: Glory Edim

An inspiring collection of essays by black women writers, curated by the founder of the popular book club Well-Read Black Girl, on the importance of recognizing ourselves in literature.

Remember that moment when you first encountered a character who seemed to be written just for you? That feeling of belonging remains with readers the rest of their lives - but not everyone regularly sees themselves on the pages of a book. In this timely anthology, Glory Edim brings together original essays by some of our best black women writers to shine a light on how important it is that we all - regardless of gender, race, religion, or ability - have the opportunity to find ourselves in literature.

Contributors include Jesmyn Ward (Sing, Unburied, Sing), Lynn Nottage (Sweat), Jacqueline Woodson (Another Brooklyn), Gabourey Sidibe (This Is Just My Face), Morgan Jerkins (This Will Be My Undoing), Tayari Jones (An American Marriage), Rebecca Walker (Black, White and Jewish), and Barbara Smith (Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology).

Whether it’s learning about the complexities of femalehood from Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison, finding a new type of love in The Color Purple, or using mythology to craft an alternative black future, the subjects of each essay remind us why we turn to books in times of both struggle and relaxation. As she has done with her book club-turned-Online community Well-Read Black Girl, in this anthology Glory Edim has created a space in which black women’s writing and knowledge and life experiences are lifted up, to be shared with all fans who value the power of a story to help us understand the world and ourselves.

Includes a bonus PDF of the Well-Read Black Girl book recommendations.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Glory Edim (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Yes, Well-Read Black Girl is as good as it sounds.... The recipient of the 2017 L.A. Times Innovator’s Award for her book club turned festival gathers an all-star cast of contributors - among them Lynn Nottage, Jesmyn Ward, and Gabourey Sidibe - to pay tribute to literature by, for, and about Black women.” (O: The Oprah Magazine)

“These essays build the altars for black women to recognize and support each other’s work, not as collectibles rendered visible or easily consumed by non-black audiences, but as an acknowledgment of black women as architects of their own futures and universes.... Each essay can be read as a dispatch from the vast and wonderfully complex location that is black girlhood and womanhood.... They present literary encounters that may at times seem private and ordinary - hours spent in the children’s section of a public library or in a college classroom - but are no less monumental in their impact.” (The Washington Post)

“A wonderful collection of essays.” (Essence)

“Glory Edim has curated a brilliant collection of essential American reading for the twenty-first-century reader. This book is smart, powerful, and complete.” (Min Jin Lee, author of the National Book Award finalist Pachinko and Free Food for Millionaires)

great !

definitely a good compilation of stories worth the read... also a great way to think about looking into other new books and short stories

Great stories that everyone will enjoy.

Insightful, inspiring, smart, authentic stories. I appreciate listening to them all. Buying the book too!

Black Girls Really do Rock

All of the stories are heartfelt and really good. My fav is the story by Gabourey Sidibe.

Overall a good book to read.

It was nice to get titles of additional black writer's work. I will be expanding my pallet for many of them.

Opened me up

Into black authors and lead me down a path to seeking and discovering more black authors. Grateful for the experience

Great book.

I love this book although I struggled to finish at first. I would recommend not reading it all at once if you're like me and it's hard to keep focus. Take it story by story or chapter by chapter. It helped to relate to each story teller more and fully grasp each story better.

Amazing read!

I loved every part of this book! I have already recommended it to my sister. It sheds light on amazing black authors! ❤️❤️

big literary vibes

there's just something to having the author of a work read it to you. It is a transformative experience to have that journey with someone who is also a connoisseur of literature. It's a delight to hear the heart and pulse of this work on the author's own rhythm. If you find synergy in being a well read black girl (or just being well read), this is now required reading/listening; you will surely find a kindred spirit in author Glory Edim.

Great resources but....

The performance was sort of monotone. It was hard to stay interested. Hard to follow.

They why behind your desire.

A platform to learn about other writers and why they started writing. A good read.