JJ Amaworo Wilson

https://jjawilson.wordpress.com/

JJ Amaworo Wilson’s short fiction, essays, and poetry have been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies, including African American Journal, Justice Journal, Mission at Tenth, Electric Literature, The Frogmore Papers, IC3: The Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain, and Afrobeat, among others.

His novel, Damnificados, was published by PM Press in 2016. It won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Debut Fiction, the Independent Publisher Book Award for Multicultural Fiction, and the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for Fiction; was nominated for an American Book Award, the Eric Hoffer Book Award, and the Foreword Indies Book Award; and was named a Top 10 book in O, the Oprah Winfrey magazine.

Mr. Amaworo Wilson has also written 20 books about language and language learning, two of which won awards which saw him honored at Buckingham Palace in 2008 and 2011 in his native UK. He is the writer-in-residence at Western New Mexico University, USA, and teaches on the MFA in Creative Writing at Stonecoast, University of Southern Maine.

Books by JJ Amaworo Wilson

Image of Damnificados: A Novel (Spectacular Fiction)

Book Reviews by JJ Amaworo Wilson

Image of John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community (Black Lives)
Author(s):
Raymond Arsenault
Genre(s):
Biography, Autobiography & Memoir, Social Activists, Historical, Black & African American, Civil Rights

John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community (Black Lives)

February 18, 2024
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

“Despite the horrific racism he’d seen, suffered, and fought against, John Lewis never allowed his heart to be consumed by hate.

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Image of Let Us Descend: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club 2023)
Author(s):
Jesmyn Ward
Genre(s):
Black & African American, Women’s Fiction, Historical, Self Realization

Let Us Descend: A Novel

December 25, 2023
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

A new Jesmyn Ward novel is a literary event. Ward has won the National Book Award twice with works that encapsulate the U.S.’s horrific history of racism and inequality.

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Image of Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America
Author(s):
Ibram X. Kendi
Illustrator(s):
Joel Christian Gill
Genre(s):
Nonfiction, Graphic, Nonfiction, Comics, & Cartoons, Black & African American

Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America

July 19, 2023
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

“Stamped from the Beginning is an excellent, accessible primer on the history of U.S. racism.

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Image of Juneteenth: A Picture Book for Kids Celebrating Black Joy
Author(s):
Van G. Garrett
Illustrator(s):
Reginald C Adams, Samson Bimbo Adenugba
Genre(s):
Children, 4–8, Picture Book, Black & African American

Juneteenth

May 24, 2023
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

“the best thing about Juneteenth is the joyful tone of the narrative, which is conveyed by the artwork. The illustrations are colorful, vibrant, and clear.”

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Image of Life of Che (The Alberto Breccia Library)
Author(s):
Héctor Germán Oesterheld
Genre(s):
Graphic, Nonfiction, Comics, & Cartoons, Biography, Autobiography & Memoir, Military

Life of Che (The Alberto Breccia Library)

April 25, 2022
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

The story of this book is almost as extraordinary as the story of Che Guevara’s life.

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Image of Within Our Grasp: Childhood Malnutrition Worldwide and the Revolution Taking Place to End It
Author(s):
Sharman Apt Russell
Genre(s):
Health Care & Medicine, International Affairs, Health, Wellness & Medical

Within Our Grasp: Childhood Malnutrition Worldwide and the Revolution Taking Place to End It

May 13, 2021
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

Humans have been hungry for a long time.

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Image of Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul?: Essays
Author(s):
Jesse McCarthy
Genre(s):
Essays, Black & African American

Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul?: Essays

March 29, 2021
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

“For its penetrating thought, its joyful language, and its eclectic wanderings among the peaks and valleys of high and low culture, this book is an act of sublime generosity from a brillian

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Image of How to Pronounce Knife: Stories
Author(s):
Souvankham Thammavongsa
Genre(s):
Short Stories, Literary Fiction, Asian American

How to Pronounce Knife: Stories

April 20, 2020
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

“Thammavongsa says vital things about the immigrant experience: how refugees strive to fit in and yet retain cultural traditions; how race is entwined with class; and how family is, in the

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Image of The Collector of Leftover Souls: Field Notes on Brazil's Everyday Insurrections
Author(s):
Eliane Brum
Genre(s):
Literary, Biography, Autobiography & Memoir

The Collector of Leftover Souls: Field Notes on Brazil's Everyday Insurrections

January 14, 2020
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

“a superb chronicle of marginalization, a collage depicting a continent-sized country still finding its way nearly 200 years after independence.”

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Image of Abbott
Author(s):
Saladin Ahmed
Genre(s):
Crime/Mystery/Thriller

Abbott

November 20, 2018
Reviewed by: 
JJ Amaworo Wilson

“Abbott is enormously enjoyable. The occult plot is a touch hokey, but Elena makes the journey worthwhile. Her story is one long fight.

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