Celebrating the works of some of our talented authors during Black History Month
This February, we are honouring some of our talented Black authors in their contributions to the literary world! Spanning genres that range from business to children’s and religious to memoir, our authors have stories they have carefully and courageously shared with the world.
Lamar Jackson
I Dream, You Dream, Let Us Dream! was written to inspire children of all ages to never give up on their dreams. When accompanied by hard work, dedication, consistency, and faith, your dream can turn into your reality. Do not allow others to tell you that your dreams are impossible and can’t be done. Even if it’s never been done before, you’re just the one chosen to do it. Dream big, work hard, and live your reality! You can do it!
Mark Teague
Long before the name Mark Teague became known nationally in football coaching circles, he was like any other ordinary kid growing up in the South. He loved sports; had a vivid, creative imagination; and was a dreamer. He learned early on that life has a way of presenting obstacles that often stand in the way of those dreams. Those obstacles would teach him the focus and intestinal fortitude needed to reach the far-reaching goals he set for himself at a young age. From the struggles of a bad speech impediment as a child, tough financial struggles growing up, homelessness as an adult, and two separate bouts with cancer, his spirit was tested. Coach Teague puts the bold power of human resolve on full display in this book. Allow him to take you on his personal journey through life to help you unlock the power within you to conquer your dreams.
Eldonie Mason
Eldonie Mason is a native of the Caribbean Island of Antigua. She is also a licensed attorney and an entrepreneur. Three years ago, Eldonie’s five-year-old niece told her that she could not be a princess because all the princesses were white with long hair. Eldonie’s heart broke. Who told her niece such a thing? This conversation led her to write her niece a story about a Black princess with short hair who goes on adventures. That story is now the children’s book The Adventures of Princess Anyah of Antibarba: The Fishing Expedition. Representation matters, and if little girls like Eldonie’s niece can see themselves as princesses, they will not feel less than.
Douglas Wavamunno
Born in Uganda, raised in the United Kingdom, educated from an early age in Scotland, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in marketing, Douglas Wavamunno does not consider himself to be a professional writer. Out of curiosity, Wavamunno started collecting information and articles about Black inventors, teachers, activists, etc. whilst at university in Scotland. It became apparent there was a canon of information to be read and shared, especially about Black people who helped shape the world we live in. We live in a world with a myriad of ideas and achievements. These men and women are part of the development of modern society, past and present, across Africa, Europe, and the United States.
Judith Shaw
Judith Shaw was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised by her Grandma Wawa. She believes grandparents are wise and special, and that they should be loved, respected, and honoured. Judith works as a home registered practical nurse, but also finds delight tapping into her artistic abilities. She enjoys daydreaming and believes art arrives from the ability to dream and the freeing of our imagination. She finds solace in reading and writing poems, and penned My Grandmother Said, Art Is Everywhere, a delightful book that engages readers to recognize that art is everywhere by trusting our imagination to guide us. She presently lives in Oshawa, Ontario.
Tatenda Mutswiri
Tatenda Mutswiri is a gifted teacher of the word of God. She is a qualified nurse by profession but has surrendered her profession to follow God’s plan for her life, which is being a SAHM. Tatenda and her husband Oliver are the parents of five children, with one on the way. They home-educate their children; she has a passion for raising children who will impact the world through their identity in Christ. Her book, From Despair to Everlasting Joy: A True Story of Finding Faith, Hope and Joy is a riveting true story of a young woman who finds herself away from her home country. Yearning to fit into her new environment, she struggles to find peace, hope and joy. Confused and torn apart, she shares her journey of attempting to find joy only to face disappointment. She shares her journey of finding faith in God and how her life was totally transformed. Her life takes an unexpected turn from what she had planned to totally surrendering her life to Christ. In the process she encounters everlasting joy and God’s plan for her life.
Sir Kennedy Simmonds
The Making of a National Hero chronicles Sir Kennedy’s humble upbringing in Basseterre’s Rosemary Lane. At the age of nine, Sir Kennedy entered the St. Kitts-Nevis Grammar School on an entrance scholarship as one of the youngest-ever pupils. Although he never kept a diary, Dr. Simmonds uses his powerful memory for meticulous detail to walk his reader through university and medical school, on to his early career as an anaesthesiologist. His historic foray into Caribbean politics is a must-read documentary of how this twin-island state (which was once tripartite) was guided out of colonialism without further fragmentation. Sir Kennedy’s is a life well lived. He loved the arts, literature, music, and theatre, often playing the lead in dramatic productions. He was a leader in school and in the Methodist Church Sunday school. His love of cricket, soccer, American football, baseball, tennis and basketball is passionate and pervasive, and his words ring with the enjoyment he takes in these activities.
Tara Hill-Starks
Tara Hill-Starks is an education professional who has a passion for children and didactic learning. Her latest work, Grandma, I Got This, is inspired by the teachings she received from her grandmother as a young child, as well as by the wisdom shared by her pastor as an adult. With a master’s in Business Administration, Tara has a flair for all things business. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The author enjoys living at the beach with her husband and son.
Job Simukonda
Job Simukonda is an international spiritual speaker, entrepreneur, educator, philanthropist, and mechanical engineering technologist. He was born in Kasama, Zambia, in a humble background and raised by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet. Job Simukonda overcame the childhood struggle to find purpose in life. He has helped many people to fulfil their divine mission in life. Through a leap of faith, he moved from Zambia to South Africa, where he worked for six years. In 2019, he moved to Australia and penned A Journey of Faith, a true-life story of struggle, patience, and undivided faith that narrates the possibilities in life through God’s grace.
We hope you’ll consider adding these works to your to-be-read list! Thanks for reading.
