7 Black Canadian writers to watch in 2022

In honour of Black History Month 2022,CBC Booksis highlightingseven Black Canadian writers who are making their mark.

Asha Bromfield

Asha Bromfield is a Black Canadian actress, singer and writer best known for her role as Melody Valentine, drummer of Josie and the Pussycats in the television showRiverdale and asZadie Wells in the Netflix showLocke and Key.The Toronto-born author'sdebut YA novel,Hurricane Summer, is a love letter to Jamaica, where her parents are from.

• Asha Bromfield's YA novelHurricane Summeris a coming-of-age story that embraces womanhood and sexuality

Hurricane Summerisa coming-of-age story about a teen named Tilla whoserelationship with her Jamaican-born father is straining due to his frequent absences from her life.Bromfield's second YA novel, titled Songs of Irie, will be published in 2023.

Brief But Spectacular Asha Bromfield

5 years ago

Duration 3:22

Asha Bromfield offers her Brief But Spectacular take on her career as an actor, and the strength shes had to call on to maintain her authenticity.

Khodi Dill

Khodi Dillis a Saskatoon-based Bahamian-Canadian educator, poet and author. His debut book,Welcome to the Cypher,is a picture book about music and the transformative power of rap music. Theread-aloud book features children learning confidence and self-expression as they rap together in a group.

• 41 Canadian picture books published in fall 2021

Dill's writing and poetry features themes of community activism, anti-racism and social justice.

Tawhida Tanya Evanson

Tawhida Tanya Evanson is an Antiguan Qubecois writer, artist and performer who currently lives in Montreal. She is also the author of the poetry collectionsNouveau GriotandBothism.Book of Wings, her first work of fiction, was on theCanada Reads2022 longlist.

• Tawhida Tanya Evanson explores the power of emotions in the Canada Reads longlisted-novelBook of Wings

Book of Wingsfollows an artist on a global journey with her lover, from Canada to the Caribbean to Paris, Morocco and beyond. Along the way, their relationship falls apart, but the artist finds herself on a path of personal and spiritual fulfillment that leads into the North African landscape.

Perry King

Perry King is a Toronto journalist, communications officer and author.His writing focuses on themes of sports, community, culture and education;his workcan be seen inSpacing Magazine,Toronto StarandGlobe and Mail.

• Writer Perry King sees Toronto through community sports

King's debutnonfiction book,Rebound, examines the ties between sports, community, environment and the transformative power of urban communitieswhose residents are physically active andsocially connected.

Tolu Oloruntoba

Tolu Oloruntobais a writer from Nigeria who now lives in Surrey, B.C. His first chapbook,Manubrium,was shortlisted for the 2020 bpNichol Chapbook Award. He isalso the founder of the literary magazineKlorofyl. Oloruntoba won the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry.for his debut collectionThe Junta of Happenstance.

• 2021 Governor General's Literary Award winners write about connection

The Junta of Happenstanceis an exploration of disease, both medical and emotional. It explores family dynamics, social injustice, the immigrant experience, economic anxiety andthe nature of suffering.

Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia

Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia is a lawyer, academic and writer who divides her time between Lagos and Halifax. Her debut novelThe Son of the Houseis her first novel wonthe SprinNG Women Authors Prize and theNigeria Prize for Literature. The novel alsowas on the shortlist for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prizeand was named one of the best books of 2021 by CBC Books.

• Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia's debut novelThe Son of the Houseis a story about gender, trauma & patriarchy

The Son of the Houseis the story of two Nigerian women, the housemaid Nwabulu and the wealthy Julie. The two live very different lives, but when both are kidnapped and forced to spend days together in a dark, tiny room,theykeep hope alive by sharing storiesand discovering common ground.

Onyemelukwe-Onuobia is currently focusedon her next literary work.

Liselle Sambury

Liselle Sambury is a Trinidadian Canadian YA author and vloggerfrom Toronto, currently residing in northern Ontario. Sambury's debut YA novelBlood Like Magic, is a dark fantasy story aboutVoya Thomas, a Toronto-based teen witch who is tasked withsacrificing her first love to save her family's magic. But when Voyadoes eventually fallin love with her soulmate, she is forced to make the choice between hermorality and her duty to her bloodline.

Blood Like Magicwasonthe shortlist for the 2021 Governor General's Literary award foryoung people's literature text.

• Liselle Sambury's YA novelBlood Like Magicis a fantasy/sci-fi mashup about Black Canadian witches in Toronto

The second book in the YA fantasy series, Blood Like Fate, will be published inAug. 2022.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of.You can read more stories here.