James Baldwin published 11 novels, 3 novellas, 1 short story collection, 6 non-fiction books, 2 children's books, 1 poetry collection, 3 plays and 1 other book, beginning with Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953). The best-known is Giovanni's Room (1956).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with James Baldwin
Start here
Giovanni's Room
James Baldwin's most-read book.
Highest rated
The Fire Next Time
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by 34 readers.
Standalone novels in order
Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953)
Notes of a Native Son (1955)
Giovanni's Room (1956)
Another Country (1962)
Blues For Mister Charlie (1964)
Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone (1968)
A Rap on Race (1971)
No Name in the Street (Apr 1972)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Jun 1974)
Just Above My Head (1979)
Notes to Myself My Struggle to Become a Person (1982)
Novellas in order
The Fire Next Time (1963)
Sonny's Blues (1993)
I Am Not Your Negro (2017)
Short story collections in order
Going to Meet the Man (1965)
Non-fiction in order
Nobody Knows My Name (Jul 1961)
Nothing Personal (1964)
Black Anti-Semitism and Jewish Racism (1969)
Dialogue (1973)
The Evidence of Things Not Seen (1985)
The Price of the Ticket (1985)
Children's books in order
Little Man, Little Man (1976)
The Devil Finds Work (1976)
Poetry in order
Jimmy's Blues (1983)
Plays in order
The Amen Corner (1968)
One Day When I Was Lost (1972)
Native Sons (2004)
Other books in order
Everybody's Protest Novel (1975)
Film and TV adaptations
- If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)Film · from If Beale Street Could Talk
About James Baldwin
James Arthur Baldwin was an American writer and civil rights activist who garnered acclaim for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. His 1953 novel Go Tell It on the Mountain has been ranked by Time magazine as one of the top 100 English-language novels. His 1955 essay collection Notes of a Native Son helped establish his reputation as a voice for human equality. His 1965 debate with William Buckley is regarded as one of the most influential debates on race in the United States. Baldwin was an influential public figure and orator, especially during the civil rights movement in the United States.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
James Baldwin FAQ
- How many books has James Baldwin written?
- James Baldwin published 11 novels, 3 novellas, 1 short story collection, 6 non-fiction books, 2 children's books, 1 poetry collection, 3 plays and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read James Baldwin's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Giovanni's Room.
- What is James Baldwin's last book?
- The Price of the Ticket (1985).
- What is James Baldwin's most famous book?
- Giovanni's Room (1956) is James Baldwin's most widely read book.
- Which James Baldwin books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including If Beale Street Could Talk (film, 2018).
Authors like James Baldwin
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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Jorge Luis Borges
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Gore Vidal
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Aldous Huxley
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Virginia Woolf
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V. S. Naipaul
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.