The Awakening of Malcolm X: A Novel

The Awakening of Malcolm X is a narrative account of Malcolm X's adolescent years in prison, written by his daughter Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson, a 2019 Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe award winner. Set in Charlestown Prison during the 1940s, the novel follows Malcolm Little as he struggles with his past and uncertain future. Through friendships with other prisoners, correspondence with family, extensive reading, participation in the prison debate team, and involvement with the Nation of Islam, Malcolm grapples with questions of race, politics, religion, and justice. By the time his imprisonment ends, he undergoes a transformation, emerging as Malcolm X. The book offers an intimate portrait of Malcolm X's young adult years and explores themes of black power, prison reform, and civil rights. While it chronologically follows X: A Novel, it can be read independently as a historical novel.