Press release - January 2024 -www.thediversebookawards.co.uk
The Fifth Diverse Book Awards - Open For Nominations NOW!
#TheDBAwards
London, United Kingdom, January 12th2024:Celebrating its fifth birthday this year, The Diverse Book Awards is now officially open to nominations for diverse and inclusive books published any time during 2023 by UK/Ireland-based authors.
The 2024 awards process runs until March 27th2024, hot on the heels of the incredible success of last year's Diverse Book Awards, which saw the addition of a new Picture Book category, as well as the Readers' Choice Awards and The Malorie Blackman Impact Award.
The unique and inclusive awards celebrate the incredible talent here in the UK and Ireland, shining a spotlight on the best books in Picture Books, Children's, YA and Adult Fiction, published in 2023.
The awards are free to enter and are open to books regardless of their route to publication. Payment is only required upon shortlisting. Self-published authors are encouraged to nominate their own books, and indie, collaborative, hybrid and traditional publishers are all welcome at the table!
To submit your book for nomination visit: https://www.thediversebookawards.co.uk/entertheawards
The longlist will be announced in July 2024, the shortlist in September 2024 and the winners in October 2024.
Last year, more than 160 submissions (up from 50 in 2020) were received for the 2023 Diverse Book Awards. This year, the co-founders, award-winning children's/YA author Abiola Bello and prize-winning publicist Helen Lewis, are hoping this number will exceed 200.
Abiola Bello comments:"We are so proud of The Diverse Book Awards. Last night (11thJanuary) we held an online panel with the incredible winners of The Diverse Book Awards, and it reinforced the importance of this prize. One day, we hope there won't be a need for The Diverse Book Awards because there will be an equal playing field for all authors."
Helen Lewis comments: "We have seen so much growth, support and interest in The Diverse Book Awards over the past five years. We'd like to thank every single reader, librarian, bookseller, journalist, student and teacher who supports the awards by voting in the Readers' Choice Award, by following the prize, buying the listed books, sharing about the prize on socials, and reading and reviewing these amazing books - every time you support our prize and the authors and publishers who are longlisted, shortlisted and the winners - you're making a genuine impact."
Notes to editors
Abiola Bello and Helen Lewis are available for media interviews.
Award enquiries tohello@thediversebookawards.co.uk.
Media enquiries toinfo@literallypr.com.
Full terms and conditions are available online:www.thediversebookawards.co.uk
The Diverse Book Awards Winners 2023
WINNER - The Diverse Book Awards 2023 - Picture Books
Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande, illustrated by Ruchi Mhansane (Andersen Press)
In second place:
Nour's Secret Library by Wafa Tarnowska, illustrated by Vali Mintzi (Barefoot Books)
In third place:
Our Tower by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Richard Johnson (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
WINNER - The Diverse Book Awards 2023 - Children's
The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger by J.T. Williams and illustrated by Simone Douglas (Farshore)
In second place:
The Twig Man by Sana Rasoul (Hashtag Press)
In third place:
A Flash of Fireflies by Aisha Bushby (Farshore)
WINNER - The Diverse Book Awards 2023 - YA
When Our Worlds Collided by Danielle Jawando (Simon & Schuster)
In second place:
Love In Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello (Simon & Schuster)
In third place:
If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So (Little Tiger)
WINNER - The Diverse Book Awards 2023 - Adult
One for Sorrow, Two for Joy by Marie-Claire Amuah (Oneworld)
In second place:
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn (Viking)
In third place:
The Attic Child by Lola Jaye (Pan Macmillan)
The Diverse Book Awards Readers' Choice Award 2023
New for 2023 is the Readers' Choice Award in Picture Books, Children's, YA and Adult! There were almost 1,000 votes for this prize across the categories, 100 received in the first hour alone, which for the first year of its life is pretty amazing. Each of the 2023 longlisted books were open to votes from the announcement of the longlist through to the announcement of the shortlist.
The Diverse Book Awards 2023 Readers' Choice Award - Picture Books
WINNER
With 23.2% of the vote...
Small's Big Dream by Manjeet Mann, illustrated by Amanda Quartey, published by HarperCollins Children's Books.
In second place, with 15.9% of the vote...
Me and My Dysphoria Monster by Laura Kate Dale, illustrated by Ang Hui Qin, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
In third place, with 9.6% of the vote...
John Agard's Windrush Child by John Agard, illustrated by Sophie Bass, published by Walker Books.
The Diverse Book Awards 2023 Readers' Choice Award - Children'sWINNER
With 21.2% of the vote...
The Twig Man by Sana Rasoul, published by Hashtag Press.
In second place with 10.1% of the vote...
Keep Dancing Lizzie Chu by Maisie Chan, published by Piccadilly Press.
In third place with 9.1% of the vote...
SadeĢ and the Shadow Beasts by Rachel Faturoti, illustrated by Rumbidzai Savanhu, published by Hodder Children's Books.
The Diverse Book Awards 2023 Readers' Choice Award - YA
With 21.6% of the vote...
Love In Winter Wonderland, by Abiola Bello, published by Simon & Schuster
In second place, with 15.5% of the vote...
Gay Club! By Simon James Green, published by Scholastic.
In third place, with 12.6% of the vote...
Toxic by Natasha Devon, published by UClan Publishing.
The Diverse Book Awards 2023 Readers' Choice Award - Adult
With 22.8% of the vote...
Still Lives by Reshma Rui, published by Renard Press
In second place, with 19.9% of the vote...
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, published by Viking.
In third place, with 17.1% of the vote...
The Attic Child by Lola Jaye, published by Pan Macmillan.
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