Celebrated for her bestselling novels and powerful personal essays, American writer Brit Bennett has become a reckoning force in contemporary literature, shaping discourse around racial identity and Black culture. Born and raised in Southern California, she began writing as a child and honed her skills at Stanford, Oxford, and the University of Michigan.
Bennett first gained recognition for her 2014 essay, “I Don’t Know What to Do With White People,” posted on Jezebel on the heels of the Ferguson protests. Viewed over a million times in three days, it caught the attention of a literary agent, and her dazzling debut, The Mothers, came out two years later. A coming-of-age story set in a close-knit, contemporary Black church community, the book received widespread acclaim and quickly reached bestseller status.
In 2020, Bennett returned readers to California for a poignant look at racial injustice and the lasting influence of past choices with her second novel, The Vanishing Half. Released to rave reviews, it was long-listed for the National Book Award and solidified Bennett as a literary star. That same year, a tweet she sent out calling for American Girl to debut a new Black doll led to a collaboration with the toy company’s historic line. Bennett helped create the character of Claudie Wells, a girl growing up during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, and penned two companion books exploring her story.
Long drawn to the complex intersection of race, class, and family heritage, Bennett reflected on the literature of her life in Vanity Fair. From Toni Morrison to Tayari Jones, dive into her reading list below, and check out the recommendations of other great writers here.
Brit Bennett’s Reading List
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (also rec’d by Jodie Foster, Jonathan Franzen, Kamala Harris, Marlon James & Yaa Gyasi)
“I first read Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison when I was studying abroad in the U.K., so this book found me when I was beginning to think, more deeply than ever, about what it means to be both Black and American. This is a story about a search for hidden gold that, instead, uncovers a hidden family history. It’s a perfect novel.” -BB
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones (also rec’d by Anita Hill)
“This book is one of my go-to recommendations to friends and family looking for something to read. It’s a story about a complicated family centering on two half-sisters, one who knows the other exists and the other who has no clue. A propulsive, unforgettable read about the complexity of family.” -BB
Dreamland by Rosa Rankin-Gee
“Dystopian yet romantic, Dreamland follows a young woman whose struggling family gets relocated by the British government to a dilapidated beach town. As she grows up and falls in love with a mysterious visitor, she begins to realize that the town she calls home has a more sinister intent. A searing examination of class and climate injustice.” -BB
Passing by Nella Larsen
“A beloved novel from the Harlem Renaissance that follows the fraught relationship between two childhood friends, one who passes for white and one who chooses not to. The forthcoming adaptation, starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, is a faithful and gorgeous reimagining of the novel. Shot beautifully in black and white, it movingly captures the tense friendship at the heart of the book.” -BB
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (also rec’d by Angie Thomas & Jodi Picoult)
“I read Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones in college, and I marveled over Ward’s ear for language and her attentiveness to the rich emotional lives of her character. A beautiful, big-hearted novel.” -BB
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (also rec’d by Alice Walker, Florence Welch, Hanif Abdurraqib, Howard Zinn, Ibram X. Kendi, Janet Mock, Phoebe Robinson, Tarana Burke, Yara Shahidi & Zadie Smith)
“In this short novel, Zora Neale Hurston somehow manages to capture the challenges faced by Black women seeking liberation in a racist, misogynistic world while never losing sight of the liberating power of Black joy.” -BB
(via Vanity Fair; photo by Emma Trim)
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