Authors: Iceberg Slim

In Biography and Memoir, Literary, Urban Fiction

By Raven Leilani

Iceberg Slim’s autobiographical novel sent shockwaves throughout the literary world when it published in 1967. Groundbreaking for its authentic and oft-brutal account of the s e x trade, the book offers readers an unforgettable look at the mores of Chicago’s street life during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. In the preface, Slim says it best, “In this book, I will take you, the reader, with me into the secret inner world of the p i m p.” With millions of copies sold, P I M P has become vital reading across generations of writers, entertainers and filmmakers alike, making it a timeless piece of American literature.

Authors: Teri Woods

In Urban Fiction

By Dolen Perkins-Valdez

One of my favorites. TRUE TO THE GAME is one of those books that started me on the urban fiction track. DUTCH is a step better.

Authors: Sister Souljah

In Literary, Urban Fiction

By Willie Earl

In 1999, when she made her debut as a novelist with THE COLDEST WINTER EVER, Souljah said that she was the pioneer for starting "a renaissance, or what Chuck D of Public Enemy would call a revolution, of reading. "As of March 2016, Souljah was on the New York Times Bestseller List three times. THE COLDEST WINTER EVER was widely acclaimed for making the second wave of the genre known as street literature more popular (the first wave having been lead by Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines in the 1960s and '70s).

Authors: Willie Redd

In Urban Fiction

By Hannah King

Romance, lurid s e x, colorful g a n g s t e r s, political a s s a s s i n a t i o n, international espionage—JEZEBEL has everything!

Authors: Willie Earl Scott

In Literary, Suspense Thriller, Urban Fiction

By Regina Dent