Black British Booklist News

November 2026 New Releases | Issue 3

Cover of the book 'Black Fish' by Speech Debelle, featuring a hand holding a fishnet against a light blue background with bold orange lettering.
Book cover of 'Deadly Confessions' by Busayo Matuluko, featuring a vibrant green background, a pair of hands holding a letter with a bloodstain, and bold text highlighting the title and author's name.
Book cover of 'DESTINED: A Promise Fulfilled' by Remi Adejumo featuring a burning candle with wax drips against a textured background, conveying themes of time and bonds.
Book cover for 'Heir of the Shadow' from the Firstborn of the Sun series, featuring two characters with intricate hairstyles, one in profile and the other facing forward, against a swirling background.
Book cover for 'Melody & Pain' by Marissa McCallam featuring a young woman with curly hair in a white blouse standing in front of a red door against a blue background.
A stylised illustrated cover featuring a man with sunglasses, a beret, and a wide grin. The title 'Pillaging the Dead' is displayed above him, with the author's name 'Degol Hailu' at the bottom.
Book cover of 'The Life of Life' by Salena Godden, featuring a green cat and whale among floral illustrations in yellow and green.

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Greetings Wordies,

Can you believe October is over already? Sadly, that means that UK Black History Month is over too. The good news is that Black books are for every month, so naturally, I have some new releases and additions to the Black British Booklist to keep you reading in November.

We’ve also hit a bit of a milestone here at The Abundant Word. The Black British Booklist now has over 500 books available to discover and buy! And the growth continues. A sample of new additions is below, but for more, check out the browser, or if you are a paid supporter, you can download the full database and reading tracker here.

Black British book releases in November 2026

Book cover for 'Pillaging the Dead' by Degol Hailu featuring a stylised illustration of a man with sunglasses, a green smile, and a red beret.

Title: Pillaging the Dead by Degol Hailu

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Publication Date: 5 Nov 2026

You might have déjà vu with this title and if you do you wouldn’t be wrong… I got too eager and posted it in last month’s newsletter! But Pillaging the Dead, a story of censorship, corruption, survival and resistance, is out at the start of November. And Cassava Republic kindly sent me a copy to read, so I will report back soon!

Order Your Copy
Cover of the book 'Melody & Pain' by Marissa McCallam, featuring a woman facing a red door against a blue background.

Title: Melody and Pain by Marissa McCallam

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Publication Date: 23 Nov 2026

People-pleaser Melody is blind-sided when she finds herself single and struggling with money. Desperate, she decides on finding a new flatmate. That’s when Pain shows up and changes everything.

Exploring identity, mental health and the healing process, Melody & Pain is a novel asking the question: What if Pain were a person and moved into your home?

Order Your Copy
Book cover for 'Heir of the Shadow' by Marvellous Michael Anson, featuring two female characters with distinctive hairstyles and expressions, set against a mystical background.

Title: Heir of the Shadow by Marvellous Michael Anson

Genre: Fantasy

Publication Date: 26 Nov 2026

Her deadly, icy shadow magic has been discovered. She is a threat – one the Crown will stop at nothing to eliminate.

Heir of Shadow is the second in the Firstborn of the Sun series, a sensational Yoruba-rooted fantasy that blends political intrigue , heart-pounding action, and romance that will make you swoon.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early reader’s edition of this book and let me tell you, if you like fantasy, you won’t want to miss out on this!

Order Your Copy

Books newly added to the Black British Booklist

Book cover for 'DESTINED: A Promise Fulfilled' by Remi Adejumo, featuring a lit candle in a dark setting with mystical elements.

Title: Destined: A Promise Fulfilled by Rẹmi Adejumo

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Publication Date: 31 Oct 2026

This emotional, character-driven debut is perfect for readers of Kristin Hannah, Tayari Jones, and Diana Evans.

Atoke learned young that love could leave wounds as deep as its joy. Years later, she lives a carefully controlled, safe life.

Then she meets a stranger.

As old wounds collide with new possibilities, Atoke must decide whether love is worth risking everything she has spent a lifetime protecting.

You can check out my unboxing carousel for this book on Instagram.

Order Your Copy
Book cover titled 'Black Fish' by Speech Debelle, featuring a hand holding a fishing net against a blue background.

Title: Black Fish by Speech Debelle

Genre: Memoir, Sports & Hobbies

Publication Date: 12 May 2026

This unique guide blends personal memoir with practical fishing advice, where fishing is used as a metaphor for growth, healing, and belonging. Penned by Mercury-award winning rapper Speech Debelle, this book offers a unique way to explore life’s challenges and triumphs.

Order Your Copy

And two future releases to get excited about…

Cover of 'The Life of Life' by Salena Godden featuring a green cat and whale amid yellow floral designs and bold black typography.

Title: The Life of Life by Salena Godden

Genre: Literary Fiction

Expected UK Publication: 25 March 2027

One for the lovers of strange fiction, this life-affirming novel is the latest offering from award-winning poet Salena Godden.

It is the summer solstice, and Life is busy preparing for her millennial midsummers feast.

But as she awaits the arrival of her sister Death and their celestial guests, there is a distinct sense of unease in the air. Look closely and the signs are there: the water tastes sour, the light has changed and now an ominous tear has appeared in the dawn sky…

Pre-order
Cover of the book 'Deadly Confessions' by Busayo Matuluko, featuring bright green background, keyhole graphic, and a hand holding a white envelope.

Title: Deadly Confessions by Busayo Matuluko

Genre: Thriller, YA

Expected UK Publication: 28 Jan 2027

We didn’t have a cover for this title when it was first added to the database, but the cover was revealed recently and it was worth waiting for. It’s stunning!

Amateur detective Lara Oyinlola is back in Lagos after her friend, Wura, begs for help. Wura’s sister, Eniola, worked as a maid for the wealthy residents of Hibiscus Lane and has vanished without a trace.

Pre-Order

Find your next read on the Black British Booklist

All of these books can now be found through the Black British Booklist, alongside hundreds of books by Black British and mixed-race Black British authors.

You can search by author or title, browse the full collection, or use the new filters to narrow the database according to what you want to read.

If you know of a Black British authored book that you think should be included, you can also submit it for consideration.

Explore the Black British Booklist here.

And if you would like more posts like this, make sure you subscribe to The Abundant Word. I’ll be using these Black British Booklist news posts to share new releases, newly discovered backlist books and improvements to the database as it continues to grow.

Until the next update, happy reading, Wordies!

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