Press release - Embargoed until 11am (UK time) on Thursday 31^stJuly 2025

Sixth Diverse Book Awards Longlist Announced

Discover 56 unmissable books from the UK and Ireland across picture books, children's, YA and adult fiction categories.

#TheDBAwards 

London, United Kingdom, 31st July 2025 -The Diverse Book Awards, sponsored byAkan Books, returns for its sixth year, once again highlighting the most inclusive, empowering, and representative books published in the UK and Ireland.

With over 250 submissions across four categories—Picture Books, Children's, YA and Adult Fiction—this year marks another record-breaking celebration of diverse storytelling.

Co-founded by bestselling, award-winning authorAbiola Belloand prize-winning publicistHelen Lewis, The Diverse Book Awards shines a spotlight on the best, inclusive books to stock in bookshops, libraries, classrooms, book clubs and homes. The awards champion authors and illustrators whose work represents the richness and complexity of real lives and real communities.

Readers' Choice Award - everyone is invited to vote for their winner from the longlist!

With continued interest and success, the Readers' Choice Award is back—giving readers across the UK and Ireland the chance to vote for their favourite book in each category.

Vote now for your favourites:https://bit.ly/DBAReadersChoice2025

Voting closes:1 September 2025
Shortlist revealed:8 September 2025
Winners announced:9 October 2025 at Waterstones Piccadilly, London

With thousands of votes cast last year, the Readers' Choice Award has become an exciting part of The Diverse Book Awards. Teachers, librarians, booksellers and readers of all ages have embraced this opportunity to shout about the books they love—and help them get the attention they deserve.

As the 2025 longlist is officially unveiled today, the awards team hope this essential reading list continues to serve as a guide for those seeking stories that reflect a wider range of experiences and voices. All titles on the longlist were published in 2024 by authors and illustrators based in the UK and Ireland.

Abiola Bello, co-founder of The DBAs:
"Every year, the standard gets higher—and 2025 is no exception. The sheer talent and passion poured into these stories is awe-inspiring. It's a joy and a privilege to help these diverse and inclusive books reach the readers who need them most. Thank you to every author, illustrator, agent and publisher who continues to back this mission."

Helen Lewis, co-founder of The DBAs:
"We are proud to be in our sixth year and absolutely blown away by the calibre of this year's longlist. We're especially excited to see the continued enthusiasm for the Readers' Choice Award. Watching these books connect with readers in such a direct way is truly powerful. Let's get voting and show these creators how much their work matters!"

The Official Diverse Book Awards 2025 Longlist

THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2025 PICTURE BOOKS LONGLIST

A Fairy Called Fredby Robert Tregoning & Stef Murphy (Bloomsbury Children's)
Aqua Boyby Ken Wilson-Max (Otter-Barry Books)
Flower Blockby Lanisha Butterfield & Hoang Giang (Puffin)
Grandma's Locsby Karen Arthur & Camilla Ru (Tate)
Mama Carby Lucy Catchpole & Karen George (Faber)
Me and my Hairby Kimberley Kinloch & Jessica Gibson (Usborne)
My Name is a Giftby Zeshan Akhter & Åsa Gilland (Templar)
Olu's Teacherby Jamel C. Campbell & Lydia Mba (Walker Books)
Pearl and her Bunchby Momoko Abe (Orchard)
Priya Mistry and the Paw Prints Puzzleby Babita Sharma & Ali Pye (Orchard)
Strong Like Meby Kelechi Okafor & Michaela Dias-Hayes (Puffin)
The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Windby Fiona Carswell & Yu Rong (Otter-Barry Books)
The Language of Flowersby Shyala Smith & Aaron Asis (Lantana)
Until You Find the Sunby Maryam Hassan & Anna Wilson (Hodder Children's Books)

THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2025 CHILDREN'S FICTION LONGLIST
Alyssa and the Spell Gardenby Alexandra Sheppard (Faber)
Birdieby J.P. Rose (Andersen Press)
Bobby Bains Plays a Binderby Bali Rai & Daniel Duncan (Barrington Stoke)
Bringing Back Kay-Kayby Dev Kothari (Walker Books)
Mayowa and the Sea of Wordsby Chibundu Onuzo (Bloomsbury Children's)
The Boy Who Fell from the Skyby Benjamin Dean (Simon & Schuster Children's)
The Cheat Book (Vol. 1)by RAMZEE (Hodder Children's Books)
The Fights That Make Usby Sarah Hagger-Holt (Usborne)
The Nine Night Mysteryby Sharna Jackson (Puffin)
The Super Sunny Murder Clubwritten & edited by Serena Patel and Robin Stevens, by Abiola Bello, Maisie Chan, Benjamin Dean, Nizrana Farook, Roopa Farooki, Sharna Jackson, Patrice Lawrence, Elle McNicoll, E.L. Norry, Annabelle Sami, Dominique Valente, and illustrated by Harry Woodgate (Farshore)
The Wrong Shoesby Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster Children's)
Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief  by Claire Linney (Self-published)
We Are Family: Six Kids and a Super-Dad!by Oliver Sykes & Ian Morris (Otter-Barry Books)
When I Feel Redby Lily Bailey (Orion Children's)

THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2025 YA FICTION LONGLIST
Damien Ike and the Fallen House of Dravenby Dee Benson & David Arlo (Hot Key Books)
Dancers of the Dawnby Zulekhá A. Afzal (Rock the Boat)
Desi Girl Speakingby A.S. Hussain (Hot Key Books)
I Never Shall Fall in Loveby Hari Conner (Simon & Schuster)
If My Words Had Wingsby Danielle Jawando (Simon & Schuster)
King of Nothingby Nathanael Lessore (Hot Key Books)
Not for the Faint of Heartby Lex Croucher (Bloomsbury Children's)
Some Like It Coldby Elle McNicoll (First Ink)
The Big Askby Simon James Green (Barrington Stoke)
The Boy Next Doorby Jenny Ireland (Penguin Random House Children's)
The Thread That Connects Usby Ayaan Mohamud (Usborne)
The Love Interestby Helen Comerford (Bloomsbury Children's)
Where Sleeping Girls Lieby Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Usborne)
Wild Eastby Ashley Hickson-Lovence (Penguin Random House Children's)

THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2025 ADULT FICTION LONGLIST
Allow Me to Introduce Myselfby Onyi Nwabineli (Magpie)
Alter Egoby Helen Heckety (Renegade Books)
Godzilla and the Songbirdby Manzu Islam (Peepal Tree Press)
Groundby Jadelin Gangbo (Jacaranda)
Lost Love Songsby Ingrid Persaud (Faber)
Northern Boyby Iqbal Hussain (Unbound)
Only Here, Only Nowby Tom Newlands (Phoenix)
Rinsing Mũkami's Soulby Njambi McGrath (Jacaranda)
The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahayeby Briony Cameron (Piatkus)
The House of Broken Bricksby Fiona Williams (Faber)
The Thirty Before Thirty Listby Tasneem Abdur-Rashid (Zaffre)
The Witnessby Alexandra Wilson (Sphere, Little, Brown)
Vengeanceby Saima Mir (Point Blank)
Yorùbá Boy Runningby Biyi Bándélé (Hamish Hamilton)

Notes to Editors

Abiola Bello and Helen Lewis are available for interviews
Award enquiries: hello@thediversebookawards.co.uk
Press folder:https://bit.ly/DBAs2025

www.thediversebookawards.co.uk
Socials:

 https://www.tiktok.com/@thediversebookawards

 https://www.instagram.com/thediversebookawards

 https://x.com/The_DBAwards

With thanks to the 2025 sponsors and partners of The Diverse Book Awards.