15 young, black female authors to add to your must-read list

Elaine Welteroth and Angie Thomas have written groundbreaking books.Robin L Marshall/Marla Aufmuth/Getty Images

• These black female writers under 40 are changing the publishing industry.
• Daven McQueen, Nandi Taylor, and Angel Hilson have written works that have garnered millions of reads online.
• Yaa Gyasi's debut novel, "Homecoming," won her a series of accolades, including the prestigious National Book Foundation's "5 under 35" honors.
• Reni Eddo-Lodge won multiple awards with her book, "Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race."

Though strides have been made in the world of publishing, writers of color are yet to be fully appreciated by the literary community at large.

According to a 2019 study, 76% of people working in publishing identify as white. While the number of diverse books being published is increasing, only 7% of children's books in 2017 were written by black, Latinx, and Native American authors combined.

Jo Chiaramonte, who works for the social storytelling platform, Wattpad, helped Insider select young, black writers for a list of authors who are changing the industry. "Each of these authors are working to increase diversity and representation in literature, casting characters that young, black readers can identify with and developing page-turning plotlines," she said.

Take a look at 15 authors changing publishing today.