Urban fiction. Street literature. Black hood books. Whatever one may call them, these novels and stories have been dominating black culture, black literature, and black opportunities.
Being an urban fiction writer and a reader has many positive outcomes compared to what most may believe. Many say the genre isn’t considered real literature but instead deemed “ghetto” or “hood” because of the blackness attached, but indeed, urban fiction is a part of black literature.
With classics like The Coldest Winter Ever, True to the Game, and Flyy Girl, we’d all remember the exact time and place when we fell in love with the genre. These stories mimic relationships, environments, and lessons that the everyday Black person experiences.
Not only does the genre mimic life, but it also opens doors and creates opportunities compared to notable book publishers. Since there was rarely space in the prominent bookstores for urban fiction, the community quickly became an independent market - for the people, by the people. With book publishing companies like Cash Money Content, Urban Books Media, and our very own, Urban Aint Dead, these companies are giving Black folk the opportunity and resources to write and have a voice in the book world.
In Black Book World, these stories reach the incarcerated, the adolescent ghetto boys & girls, the at-risk youth, and everyone in between who can relate aka the underdog audience. We may not see ourselves represented in the mainstream literature, but because of the craft and authenticity of urban fiction, the genre is back on the radar, giving Black “hood” authors and voices their time to shine.
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