Caryl Phillips

Dancing in the Dark is a 2005 novel by Kittitian-British writer Caryl Phillips that won the PEN Open Book Award in 2006. The novel reimagines the life of Bert Williams, the first black entertainer in the U.S. to achieve the highest levels of fame and fortune, but the story also deals with, in the words of the author's …

Crossing the River is a historical novel by British author Caryl Phillips, published in 1993. The Village Voice calls it "a fearless reimagining of the geography and meaning of the African diaspora." The Boston Globe said, "Crossing the River bears eloquently chastened testimony to the shattering of black lives."