Central Authors Project

Chinua Achebe (1930-2013)

Nigerian author and professor Chinua Achebe refashioned the English language to challenge the Western idea of African cultures in the context of colonialism. His novel “Things Fall Apart” is one of the most widely studied, translated, and read novels written by a West African author. Browse Achebe’s work.

Ralph Ellison (1913-1994)

Oklahoma City native Ralph Ellison was a scholar, critic and, as an author, a product of the literary Harlem Renaissance. He and his family lived briefly in Gary, Indiana. His criticism, essays, and short stories reflected the life of a Black man navigating Jim Crow-era America. Ellison’s only novel, “Invisible Man,” won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1953, the first novel written by a Black author to earn the accolade. Browse Ellison’s work.

Nikki Giovanni (1943-2024)

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Nikki Giovanni used her poetry to champion the Black womanist and Black Arts movements. As an activist and educator, she elevated the voices of other Black woman artists. Later in her career, Giovanni devoted her time and experience to audiences around the world–including right here in Central Library at Fall Fest 2015. Browse Giovanni’s work.

Gloria Anzaldúa (1942-2004)

Born in south Texas, Gloria Anzaldúa was a writer, activist, and educator whose work highlighted the Chicana (Xicana) movement. Through her work with migrant farm workers–which included spending several years here in Indiana–Anzaldúa explored the liminal space between Mexican and American identities within feminism. Browse Anzaldúa’s work.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

Born in Porbandar, India, Mahatma Gandhi’s career path in law led to a life of activism and writing. After working in apartheid-era South Africa, Gandhi transformed his worldview and used his experiences to advocate for Indian independence from Britain. Despite his problematic arguments about Black South Africans, his work and philosophy inspired several elements of the United States Civil Rights Movement. Browse Gandhi’s work.

bell hooks (1952-2021)

Kentucky native bell hooks was a prolific writer, poet, educator, and activist. Born Gloria Jean Watkins, hooks chose her pseudonym to shift focus toward her work and theories, rather than her identity. Later in her career, hooks returned to Kentucky as a distinguished professor in residence at Berea College, where her work celebrated Black Appalachia and the beauty of agrarian life. Browse hooks’ work.

Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014)

Colombian journalist and author Gabriel García Márquez is one of the pioneers of Magical Realism, a genre of fiction that incorporates both realistic and fantastical elements. His 1967 novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude” was honored as one of the most important works of the Spanish Language during the 4th International Conference of the Spanish Language. Márquez also won the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature in 1982. Browse Márquez’ work.

Matsuo Bashō (c. 1644)

Known as the greatest Haiku writer in history, Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō wrote more than 1000 poems during his life. Bashō also mastered a team-centered form of poetry called renku, as well as haibun, a literary form that mixes prose and Haiku. Browse Bashō’s work.

Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

Born in Harlem, NY, Audre Lorde described herself as a "Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, mother, warrior, [and] poet." Her work–from her first published poem in high school to the end of her career–spoke to the American experiences of immigrants, motherhood, womanhood, and classism. Lorde was the New York State Poet laureate from 1991 until her death. Browse Lorde's work.

Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000)

Born in Chicago, writer and educator Gwendolyn Brooks wrote poetry that explored how Black people in the inner city navigated racism and inequality. In 1950, she became the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize for her book of poetry “Annie Allen.” Her accolades include becoming Illinois’ poet laureate in 1968, and Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (now known as the U.S. Poet Laureate). Browse Brooks’ work.

Alex Haley (1921-1992)

Born in Ithaca, NY, journalist and writer Alex Haley examined the Black American experience through fictional and non-fictional lenses. Although his novel “Roots” may be considered his most important work, Haley also wrote “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” after a series of interviews for a Playboy Magazine article. “Roots” was adapted as a mini-series in 1977, sparking a reignition of interest in Black American history. Browse Haley’s work.

N. Scott Momaday (1934-2024)

Indigenous author and educator N. Scott Momaday was born in Oklahoma, but spent his childhood on the Navajo, Apache, and Jemez Pueblo reservations in the Southwest. His first novel, "House Made of Dawn," follows an Indigenous protagonist through a series of stories that subvert the traditional Western hero’s journey. “House Made of Dawn” won the Pulitzer Prize in 1969, and helped spark a movement to elevate the voices of other Indigenous writers. Browse Momaday’s work.