Derek Owusu Shortlisted For 2026 Dylan Thomas Prize
The Dylan Thomas Prize has announced the shortlist for its 2026 edition, with writer, poet and podcaster Derek Owusu earning a nod for his novel Borderline Fiction. The shortlisted titles, six in total, were selected by a judging panel chaired by Irenosen Okojie MBE, award-winning Nigerian British author of Curandera, Butterfly Fish, Speak Gigantular and Nudibranch, and former Women’s Prize […]
Black News 
The Dylan Thomas Prize has announced the shortlist for its 2026 edition, with writer, poet and podcaster Derek Owusu earning a nod for his novel Borderline Fiction.
The shortlisted titles, six in total, were selected by a judging panel chaired by Irenosen Okojie MBE, award-winning Nigerian British author of Curandera, Butterfly Fish, Speak Gigantular and Nudibranch, and former Women’s Prize for Fiction judge. The panel also comprises Joe Dunthorne, award-winning Swansea-born poet and novelist; Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, poet, pacifist and fabulist; Prajwal Parajuly, multi-award nominated author of The Gurkha’s Daughter and Land Where I Flee; and Eley Williams, acclaimed author and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
“This is a marvellous, galvanising shortlist. We’re thrilled by the scope, breadth and depth of these works across forms”, said Okojie. “These books have profound things to say about the ways we live, what it means to be human and overall are propulsive reads that imbue the writing space with new energies.”
Derek Owusu has written for the BBC, ITV, Granta, Esquire, GQ and Tate Britain. In 2019 he collated, edited and contributed to SAFE: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space, an anthology exploring the experiences of Black men in Britain. His first novel, That Reminds Me, the first work of fiction to be published by Stormzy’s Merky Books imprint, won the Desmond Elliott Prize for best debut novel published in the UK and Ireland. Owusu’s second novel, Losing the Plot, was published in 2022 and was Longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and Jhalak Prize. In 2023 he was selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists.
Borderline Fiction (published by Canongate) is a close-up, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes funny examination of what it means to be a young black man navigating today’s world. It has been described by this year’s prize jury as “a forensic meditation on complex Black British male identity, full of heart and tenderness.”
The Dylan Thomas Prize, worth £20,000, recognises exceptional literary talent aged 39 or under, celebrating the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama. The prize is named after the Swansea-born writer Dylan Thomas and celebrates his 39 years of creativity and productivity. The prize invokes his memory to support the writers of today, nurture the talents of tomorrow, and celebrate international literary excellence. Past winners include Caleb Azumah Nelson, Arinze Ifeakandu, and Kayo Chingonyi.
The British Library will host a shortlist celebratory event on Wednesday 13 May with the winner announced during a ceremony in Swansea on Thursday 14 May, marking International Dylan Thomas Day.
