New Kids on the Block: Up-and-Coming BIPOC Authors to Look Out For

By Nadia Shah, Yumna Iqbal and Michelle Ye

In the ever-evolving landscape of literature, a dynamic new wave of BIPOC authors is emerging, poised to captivate readers with their powerful, authentic storytelling. These rising stars seek to redefine the literary world by introducing fresh perspectives and narratives which reflect their lived experiences, resonating with readers through their exploration of identity, power and resilience.

From the bustling streets of San Francisco to the ancient temples of Kuala Lumpur, these debut novels span genres and geographies, offering readers everything from poignant coming-of-age tales to epic fantasy sagas. Through their distinct storytelling, each author explores complex themes like identity, power and family, demonstrating the multifaceted experiences of their characters. Whether it's navigating the challenges of growing up, battling inner demons or grappling with the legacies of the past, these stories are bound to captivate and inspire. As we turn the pages on these new releases, we invite you to discover the next wave of literary talent that is here to stay.

The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra

Release Date: 27 August 2024, Quill Tree Books

A San Francisco resident, Ambika Vohra is a Product Designer by day and enjoys chai and chocolates by night. Vohra’s debut Young Adult novel, The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal, is inspired by her own experiences and explores the struggles and successes of growing up.

Aisha is confronted with a Stanford admissions essay prompt that she cannot answer: “How have you gotten out of your comfort zone?” Although Aisha is the presumptive valedictorian, she finds that a life brimming with homework isn’t very compelling to write about. However, that monotony is set to change when Brian asks her to a school dance. Or it was about to, until he stood her up. Left without options, Aisha strikes up a deal with Quentin Santos; she tutors him in Maths while he provides her with dares scrawled on sticky notes, designed to bring her out of her comfort zone. But despite her early sticky note manifesto success, Aisha must decide if achieving novel victories is worth losing herself.

The Scarlet Throne by Amy Leow

Release Date: 10 September 2024, Orbit

Amy Leow creates epic fantasy worlds from the vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur while pursuing a PhD in Linguistics. Wrapped in political intrigue and fuelled by demonic forces, Leow’s debut novel, The Scarlet Throne, explores the boundaries between desperation and ambition.

The gods have chosen Binsa to be a “living goddess” and sit on the Scarlet Throne. Wielding the wisdom of the gods, she gifts mercy and inflicts punishment. However, Binsa’s power is anything but divine. Instead, she has been concealing a demon. As suspicious priests grow closer to uncovering the truth and anointing a new “living goddess”, Binsa decides she will do anything to hold onto power, including making a dubious deal with the demon to sacrifice human lives in exchange for regaining control.

The Volcano Daughters: A Novel by Gina María Balibrera

Release Date: 20 August 2024, Pantheon

Set in the nineteen-twenties in El Salvador, this historical fiction debut from Balibrera explores the lives of two sisters, Graciela and Consuelo, who were pulled apart by the dictator, El Gran Pendejo’s genocidal regime.

Graciela grows up on a volcano in a village of women forced to work in plantations until one day, she is chosen to be a Seer for the dictator, Pendejo. It is there in the capital city that she meets her sister, Consuelo, who was taken from their family years prior. Years later, Graciela comes to realise the consequences of her prophecies as her beloved community is struck with disaster and both sisters barely make it out alive. While believing the other is dead, they set out to rebuild their lives far away from where they once called home, ultimately finding each other again at the unlikeliest of times.

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay

Release Date: 27 August 2024, Kokila

A former National Book Award finalist for his novel Patron Saints of Nothing – in Everything We Never Had, Randy Ribay writes about the lives of four Filipino American boys across generations. He reflects on how the boys deal with topics such as identity, masculinity and their relationships with their fathers.

In the nineteen-thirties, Francisco Maghabol barely manages to get by in Watsonville, California with his little income. As racism reigns terror, Francisco begins to question whether leaving the Philippines was a good idea. The perspective then shifts three more generations before ending with Enzo, the great-grandson of Francisco, in present-day Philadelphia, while he struggles with anxiety during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of this, the relationship between his father and grandfather has soured since his lolo moved in. Yet, as Enzo gets to know his grandfather better, he seeks to repair the relationship between them all.