#DecolonizeBookshelves2022 Reading Progress

#DecolonizeBookshelves2022

One of the things I realized after concluding our #SurvivalStories2021 is that one year is not enough to help decolonize our bookshelves and our mindsets. Hence, inspired by the book below, we are devoting our 2022 to decolonizing our bookshelves.

Inspired by This Is The Canon: Decolonize Your Bookshelf In 50 Books (Amazon | Book Depository),I will do my best to feature at least 25 out of the 50 titles as found in this list, along with the stories of marginalized and indigenous communities whose existence were/are nearly wiped out by colonizers, tyrants, oppressors. Similar to last year, we hope to feature books that fit any of the following criteria:

  1. Postcolonial literature and/or [pre/post] revolutionary stories
  2. Stories by indigenous / first-nation peoples / people of colour
  3. Narratives of survival and healing, exile and migration, displacement and dispossession
  4. Books written or illustrated by people who have been colonized, oppressed, marginalized

Similar to what I have done for our #WomenReadWomen2019, I am devoting an entire page to document my progress throughout the year.

Please do take note that this list does not consist of all the books I read this year. To see that, please visit my Goodreads page. This table is meant to keep track of the books I featured here in GatheringBooks that fit our #DecolonizeBookshelves2022 reading theme.

I will constantly be updating this table throughout the year, as and when new books fall into my hands and featured here at GatheringBooks.

# Author / Illustrator # Book Title # Country # Language
(Bilingual / Translated from)
1 Margarita Engle 1 Light For All 1 US 1 English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Raul Colon
2 Yuyi Morales 2 Bright Star 2 English / Spanish (bilingual)
3 Hilda Eunice Burgos – born and raised in US (parents’ ethnic background: Dominican Republic) 3 The Cot In The Living Room English (with a few Spanish words)
4 Debbi Michiko Florence (Japanese-American) 4 Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale In 13 Bites English (with a few Japanese words)
Jamie Michalak
Yuko Jones (born and raised in Japan, now based in US)
5 Amanda Gorman (POC) 5 Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Loren Long
6 Lucky Diaz (POC) 6 Paletero Man English (with a few Spanish words)
Micah Player
7 David Bowles (POC) 7 My Two Border Towns
8 Traci N. Todd (POC) 8 Nina English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Christian Robinson (POC)
9 C. G. Esperanza (Afro Puerto Rican) 9 Boogie Boogie Y’all
10 10 Soul Food Sunday
Winsome Bingham (POC)
Nez Riaz (Pakistani – Palestinian based in Boston) My Name Is Bana English (with Arabic words)
11 Aimee Reid 11 Welcome Home
12 Amyra Leon (POC) 12 Freedom, We Sing English (neither translated nor bilingual)
Molly Mendoza (Mexican-Irish-American)
13 Rose Ann Tahe (Native American) 13 First Laugh, Welcome Baby!
Nancy Bo Flood
Jonathan Nelson (Native American)
14 Megan Maynor 14 A House For Every Bird
Kaylani Juanita (POC)
15 Eva Chen (POC) 15 I Am Golden
Sophie Diao (POC)
16 Jacqueline Woodson (POC) 16 The Year We Learned To Fly
17 Ibram X. Kendi (POC) 17 AntiRacist Baby
Ashley Lukashevsky (POC)
18 Chelsea Johnson (POC) 18 IntersectionAllies
LaToya Council (POC)
Carolyn Choi (POC)
Ashley Seil Smith
19 Paul Beatty (POC) 19 The Sellout
20 Michelle Lord 20 A Girl Called Genghis Khan
Shehzil Malik 2 Pakistan
21 Daniyal Mueenudin 21 In Other Rooms, Other Wonders
22 Julie Flett 22 We All Play (kimêtawânaw) 3 Canada 3 English / Cree (bilingual)
Shahul Hameed (based in UAE) The Little Ghaf Tree 4 India English and Arabic
23 Naaz Khan (born in India, grew up in Saudi Arabia, based in US) 23 Room for Everyone English (with some Arabic and Swahili words)
Merce Lopez 5 Spain
24 Equipo Plantel (translated by Lawrence Schimel) 24 This Is A Dictatorship 4 Spanish (translated)
Mikel Casel
Gaby D’Alessandro (based in the US) The Cot In The Living Room 6 Dominican Republic English (with a few Spanish words)
25 Maryse Condé (translated by Richard Philcox) 25 I, Tituba, Black Witch Of Salem 7 Guadeloupe – France 5 French (translated)
26 Emmanuelle Tchoukriel 26 A Dream Of BIrds France
Shenaz Patel (translated by Edwige-Renée Dro) 8 Mauritius Island
27 Maria Dermoût (translated by Hans Koning) 27 The Ten Thousand Things 9 Netherlands 6 Dutch (translated)
Erika Meza (Mexican Migrant artist) My Two Border Towns 10 United Kingdom English (with a few Spanish words)
28 Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis (African-Caribbean) 28 My Heart Flies Open English (neither translated nor bilingual)
29 Bana Alabed (based in Turkey) 29 My Name Is Bana 11 Syria English (with Arabic words)
Rashin Kheiriyeh (based in US) First Laugh, Welcome Baby! 12 Iran
30 Yuko Tsushima (translated by Geraldine Harcourt) 30 Territory Of Light 13 Japan 7 Japanese (translated)
31 Ekiuwa Aire (based in Canada) 31 Idia Of The Benin Kingdom 14 Nigeria 8 English (with some words/phrases from the Edo people)
32 32 Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba English (with some Kimbundu words/ phrases – spoken by Ndongo people)
Natalia Popova (based in Thailand) 15 Russia
33 Romana Romanyshyn 33 How War Changed Rondo 16 Ukraine 9 Ukrainian (translated)
Andriy Lesiv
Oksana Lushchevska (translator)
Alina Shabelnyk (Illustrator) Idia Of The Benin Kingdom English (with some words/phrases from the Edo people)
34 Refiloe Moahloli 34 I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu 17 South Africa 10 English (with some words/ phrases from the Nguni languages of isiZulu and isiXhosa)
Zinelda McDonald
35 Eileen Chang (translated by Karen S. KIngsbury) 35 Love In A Fallen City 18 China 11 Chinese language (translated)
Rafael Lopez (POC) The Year We Learned To Fly 19 Mexico English (neither translated nor bilingual)
36 Nawal El Saadawi (translated by Sherif Hetata) 36 Woman At Point Zero 20 Egypt 12 Arabic (translated)
37 Jamaica Kincaid (Antiguan-American) 37 Annie John 21 Antigua English (neither translated nor bilingual)
38 Magda Szabo (translated by Len Rix) 38 Katalin Street 22 Hungary 13 Hungarian (translated)
39 Ang INK (Ilustrador ng Kabataan) and May Tobias Papa (text and translation) 39 Karapat Dapat 23 Philippines 14 Bilingual Filipino and English
40 Eugene Y. Evasco (translated by Yvette Fernandez) 40 Luntiang Kinabukasan: Ang Kuwento Ni Kiko Pangilinan
Ara Villena
41 Yvette Fernandez 41 Dancing Waters: The Story Of Leni Robredo English
Abi Goy
42 Agay Llanera 42 A Bridge For Silay
Ronson Culibrina
43 12 Filipino Artists and Graphic Designers via CANVAS 43 The Weight Of Words: An Alphabet Of Human Rights
44 Gigo Alampay 44 #Youthink 15 Available in English and Cebuano
Liza Flores, Abi Goy, Frances Alvarez, and Jamie Bauza
45 Klaas Verplancke 45 The King’s Golden Beard 24 Belgium French
46 Leila Aboulela 46 Lyrics Alley 25 Sudan English (with some Arabic words)
47 Hanadi Al Fahim 47 The Little Ghaf Tree 26 United Arab Emirates English and Arabic
48 Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi 48 World Book Capital
Denise Damanti 27 Italy
49 Mariama Ba 49 So Long A Letter 28 Senegal French
50 José Jorge Letria (translated by Elisa Amado) 50 War 29 Portugal 16 Portuguese (translated)
André Letria
51 Ama Ata Aidoo 51 Our Sister Killjoy 30 Ghana English (neither translated nor bilingual)