Press release - Embargoed until 11am (UK time) on Wednesday 31stJuly 2024
Fifth Diverse Book Awards Longlist Announced PLUS Readers' Choice Award Goes Live!
Time to reveal the most diverse & inclusive must-read list of picture, children's, YA and adult fiction books in the UK & Ireland
#TheDBAwards
London, United Kingdom, 31stJuly 2024:Nominations have reached a record high in this latest, fifth year of The Diverse Book Awards. More than 200 books were submitted across the awards covering Picture Books, Children's, YA and Adult Fiction.
Following a hugely successful prize in 2023, The Diverse Book Awards, created by publishing entrepreneurs Abiola Bello (award-winningauthor) and Helen Lewis (prize-winningpublicist), continues to showcase the best books to buy in for bookshops, libraries, book clubs, homes and schools across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
For the second year running, readers in schools, libraries, book clubs, and homes across the country, are invited to vote for their number one winner in each of the four longlisted categories as part of The Readers' Choice Award.
ENCOURAGE VOTES NOW FOR YOUR FAVOURITE DIVERSE BOOKS ON THE LONGLIST:https://bit.ly/DBAsReadersChoiceAwardVote
Votes will close on 12thSeptember (when the shortlist will be unveiled) and the winners will be confirmed at the awards party on 10thOctober at the iconic Waterstones Piccadilly, London. Teachers, booksellers and librarians showed their support for this new addition to The Diverse Book Awards last year - as a way of encouraging people to support the full longlist - and to help shine a spotlight on the longlisted books and authors/illustrators for longer.
Today, as the fifth Diverse Book Awards longlist is officially announced, the hope is that the lists will continue to be regarded as essential reading on a national level, highlighting the outstanding diverse and inclusive books published by authors based in the UK and Ireland during 2023.
Abiola Bello, co-founder of The DBAs:"We are in our fifth year of The Diverse Book Awards and it is one of the best things we've ever created. It is always so thrilling to see which books have been published the previous year and champion these amazing authors. We want to say a massive thank you to the authors, agents, publishers involved in the awards for your continued support and for publishing such amazing books!"
Helen Lewis, co-founder of The DBAs:"This year is bigger and better than ever - all thanks to our amazing sponsors, authors and publishers who have continued to show up for The Diverse Book Awards year on year. We are so proud of these awards, and each of the previously longlisted, shortlisted and wining books. Tracking who is getting love on The Readers' Choice Award is so much fun and I can't wait to see who rises to the top thanks to the people's vote!"
The Diverse Book Awards Longlist 2024
PICTURE BOOKS
A Hero Like Me by Angela Joy & Jen Reid, illustrated by Leire Salaberria (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
Not Now Noor by Farhana Islam, illustrated by Nabila Adani (PRH Children's)
One Little Word by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Allison Colpoys (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
The Dress In The Window by Robert Tregoning, illustrated by Pippa Curnick (Oxford University Press)
To The Other Side by Erika Meza (Hodder Children's Books)
Stop! That's Not My Story by Smriti Halls, illustrated by Erika Meza (Simon & Schuster Children's)
Thunderboots by Naomi Jones, illustrated by Rebecca Ashdown (Oxford University Press)
Nabil Steals a Penguin by Nishani Reed, illustrated by Junissa Bianda (Nosy Crow)
Shine by Sarah Asuquo, illustrated by Nadia Fisher (Scholastic)
I'm Going to Be a Princess by Stephanie Taylor, illustrated by Jade Orlando (Nosy Crow)
Sunny and the Birds by Wendy Medour, illustrated by Nabila Adani (Oxford University Press)
Whirly Twirly Me by Manjeet Mann, illustrated by Amanda Quartey (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf by Craig Barr-Green, illustrated by Francis Martin (Little Tiger)
Grandad's Pride by Harry Woodgate (Andersen Press)
CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan (Anderson Press)
The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Otter-Barry Books)
Steady For This by Nathanael Lessore (Hot Key Books)
Glitter Boy by Ian Eagleton (Scholastic)
A Different Kind of Story: A Romani Story by Richard O' Neil (Scholastic)
Glow Up Lara Bloom by Dee Benson (Hot Key Books)
Jamie by L. D. Lapinkski (Orion Children's Books, imprint of Hachette)
Kicked Out by A.M. Dassu (Old Barn Books)
The Boy in the Smoke by Rachel Faturoti (Hodder Children's Books)
The Destiny of Minou Moonshine by Gita Ralleigh(Zephyr Books, imprint of Head of Zeus)
The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
The Thief of Farrowfell by Ravena Guron, illustrated by Aleesia Trunifo (Faber)
Dreamweavers: Night of the Scary Fairies by Annabelle Sami, illustrated by Forrest Burdett (Little Tiger)
Nikhil and Jay: Off to India by Chitra Soundar, illustrator Soofiya (Otter-Barry Books)
YA
The Diary of Sarah Forbes Bonetta by Victoria Princewell (Scholastic)
All The Things They Said We Couldn't Have: Stories of Trans Joy by T.C. Oakes-Monger (Jessica Kingsley Publishers)
The First Move by Jenny Ireland (PRH Children's)
A Million To One by Adiba Jaigirdar (Hodder Children's Books)
How Far We've Come by Joyce Efia Harmer (Simon & Schuster Children's)
Wild Song by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books)
Away With Words by Sophie Cameron (Little Tiger)
You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud (Usborne)
What The World Doesn't See by Mel Darbon (Usborne)
An Emerald Sky by Aneesa Marufu (Chicken House)
Boy Like Me by Simon James Green (Scholastic)
My Life As A Chameleon by Diana Anyakwo (Atom)
Gwen and Art are NOT in Love by Lex Croucher (Bloomsbury YA)
This Book Kills by Ravena Guron (Usborne)
ADULT
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth (Verve Books)
Maame by Jessica George (Hodder and Stoughton)
Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah (HarperCollins)
How (Not) to Have an Arranged Marriage by Dr Amir Khan (Macmillan)
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks (Jonathan Cape)
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Viking)
The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams (Jonathan Cape)
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad (Jonathan Cape)
Bellies by Nicola Dinan (DoubleDay)
Close to Home by Michael Magee (Hamish Hamilton)
Until Proven Innocent by Nicola Williams (Hamish Hamilton)
Ghost Girl, Banana by Wiz Wharton (Hodder and Stoughton)
Spirts Abroad by Zen Cho (Tor, Pan Macmillan)
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie (Oneworld)
Notes to editors
Abiola Bello and Helen Lewis are available for media interviews.
Award enquiries tohello@thediversebookawards.co.uk.
Press folder:https://bit.ly/TheDBAs2023
Media enquiries toinfo@literallypr.com.
THE READERS' CHOICE AWARD NOW OPEN FOR YOUR VOTES:https://bit.ly/DBAsReadersChoiceAwardVote
Online links:
www.thediversebookawards.co.uk
instagram.com/thediversebookawards
facebook.com/TheDiverseBookAwards
Bookshop link:https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/TheDiverseBookAwards
With huge gratitude to the official sponsors of The Diverse Book Awards 2024
The Diverse Book Awards Adult Sponsor
Peters
The Diverse Book Awards YA Sponsor
Book Clubs in Schools
The Diverse Book Awards Children's Sponsor
The Madeleine Milburn Agency
The Diverse Book Awards Supporting Sponsors
Renaissance Learning - Children's
Write Up - YA
Heath Books
Readers' Choice Award - Children's
Sparx Reader
The Malorie Blackman Impact Award
Literally PR
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
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