Introducing the ultimate must-read list of diverse & inclusive children’s, YA and adult fiction books in the UK
London, United Kingdom, 27th July 2021: More than 100 submissions were received for the second year of The Diverse Book Awards, created by writing community The Author School (www.theauthorschool.com). Today, the longlist is officially unveiled, revealing the outstanding diverse and inclusive books published by British/UK-based authors/publishers in the hugely challenging year of 2020. The shortlist will be revealed on 20th September and the winners in each category announced on October 21st 2021.
Abiola Bello, co-founder of The Author School and award-winning author: Through The Diverse Book Awards I have discovered new diverse books and authors that I hadn’t previously been aware of. I hope that the longlist inspires others to discover new talent too. The conversation around diversity in publishing has stepped up a level over recent months, at a time when we were shouting out for submissions to The Diverse Book Awards. The longlist represents the work that has been done already within publishing and showcases that it is truly is possible for diverse and inclusive books to be the ‘norm’ rather than ‘exception’. We hope that encouraging publishers and authors to write more diverse and inclusive books – and enter them into next year’s awards – will be a positive step forward for the publishing industry in this country. Massive thank you to the judges!
The three winners from each category will receive a bundle of prizes including a trophy, a six-month PR and marketing membership of Literally PR’s ‘100 Club’, a feature and virtual event with Back To Books, editorial content in Bad Form and Pen&Inc, the opportunity to be part of two author panel events – hosted by The Author School and the other with Simon & Schuster.
The Children’s winner will have their book featured as part of World Book Day Book Club and a school visit organised by World of Diversity.
The YA winner will be part of Wigtown YA Literary Festival and a school visit organised by World of Diversity.
The Children’s and YA winner will be featured on Tiny Revolution’s website and included in their catalogue of books.
Our YA headline sponsor is Book Clubs In Schools and the YA winner will be part of the National Teen Book Club, a UK wide virtual book club for teens.
The Diverse Book Awards Longlist 2021
Adult Longlist 2021
The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Oneworld)
If I Don’t Have You by Sareeta Domingo (Jacaranda)
A More Perfect Union by Tammye Huf (Myriad Editions)
Broadwater by Jac Shreeves-Lee (Fairlight Books)
Ugly Dogs Don’t Cry by DD Armstrong (Jacaranda)
Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud (Faber)
The Street Hawker’s Apprentice by Kabir Kareem-Bello (Jacaranda)
The Cat and the City by Nick Bradley (Atlantic Books)
The Family Tree by Sairish Hussain (HQ)
Truth Be Told by Kia Abdullah (HQ)
Young Adult Longlist 2021
Eight Pieces of Silva by Patrice Lawrence (Hodder Children’s Books (Hachette)
Run, Rebel by Manjeet Mann (Penguin Random House Children’s)
Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle (Andersen Press)
And The Stars Were Shining Brightly by Danielle Jawando (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)
Boy, Everywhere by A. M. Dassu (Old Barn Books)
Wonderland by Juno Dawson (Quercus Children’s Books (Hachette)
Hideous Beauty by William Hussey (Usborne)
Hijab and Red Lipstick by Yousra Imran (Hashtag Press)
Crown of Crowns by Clara Loveman (Clara Loveman)
Love Frankie by Jacqueline Wilson (Penguin Random House Children’s)
Children’s Longlist 2021
Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah (Scholastic Children’s Books)
Too Small Tola by Atinuke, Onyinye Iwu (Walker Books)
Do You Know Me? by Rebecca Westcott, Libby Scott (Scholastic Children’s Books)
Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt (Usborne)
Baller Boys by Venessa Taylor, Kenneth Ghann (Hashtag Press)
Zombierella: Fairy Tales Gone Bad by Joseph Coelho, Freya Hartas (Walker Books)
Dragon Mountain by Katie & Kevin Tsang (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)
Clean Up by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola, Nathan Bryon (Penguin Random House Children’s)
A Secret of Birds & Bone by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Chicken House)
Little Badman and the Time-Travelling Teacher of Doom by Humza Arshad and Henry White, Aleksei Bitskoff (Penguin Random House Children’s)
