Out Of Africa: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Oyinkan Braithwaite & More Shortlisted For 2026 British Book Awards
The shortlist for this year’s British Book Awards has been announced, with African & Diaspora literature keenly represented in multiple categories. Dream Count (4th Estate) by globally renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie earned a nod in the Fiction category. Adichie’s first novel in over a decade follows four interconnected women, two Nigerian friends in […]
Black News 
The shortlist for this year’s British Book Awards has been announced, with African & Diaspora literature keenly represented in multiple categories.
Dream Count (4th Estate) by globally renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie earned a nod in the Fiction category. Adichie’s first novel in over a decade follows four interconnected women, two Nigerian friends in America, one of their cousins, and their housekeeper, across three continents and through the disruptions of the pandemic. The book has been one of the most celebrated releases of the past year, accumulating prize recognition on both sides of the Atlantic.
Cursed Daughters (WF Howes) by Nigerian-British writer Oyinkan Braithwaite, narrated by Weruche Opia, Nnei Opia Clark, and Diana Yekinni, is shortlisted in the Audiobook: Fiction category. This intense follow-up to the Booker Prize-longlisted My Sister, the Serial Killer is a haunting story of heartbreak, grief and intergenerational trauma.
The Other Father Christmas by Serena Holly was nominated in the Discover Book of the Year category. The story follows Mikey, who nominates his grandfather to take over the reins when Santa announces his retirement. Four thrilling tasks await the contestants in Christmasland, and Mikey must help Gramps rediscover his festive spirit if he is to become the next Father Christmas.
My Rice Is Best by Selina Brown, illustrated by Maxwell A. Oginni, received a nomination in the Book of the Year – Children’s Non-Fiction & Illustrated category. The story follows Shane, who believes his mum’s rice and peas is the best, as he faces a hilarious showdown with his friend Yinka, who insists that jollof rice reigns supreme.
The British Book Awards, also called the Nibbies, celebrates the “intimate connection between the books, their makers and their audience” with nominees in a variety of categories. Winners will be honoured on 11th May 2026 both through a livestream and at Grosvenor House in London.
