The Diverse Book awards

Created by bestselling, award-winning author Abiola Bello and award-winning publicist Helen Lewis. We want to highlight the best of the diverse voices published in the UK & Ireland both traditionally and self-published. We believe there's a need to showcase the talent of marginalised voices, so we came up with The Diverse Book Awards to open a space where the spotlight is on them.

thediversebookawards.co.uk

Updated September 22, 2025
Kirklees Libraries
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Allow me to introduce myself
Nwabineli, Onyi
Paper Book
The ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye
Cameron, Briony
Paper Book
'Packed full of action, excitement, peril and romance on the high seas, this is the sapphic pirate book of my dreams' SARAH UNDERWOOD, author of Lies We Sing to the Sea'Thrilling, heart-pounding adventure meets thoughtful feminist history . . . a rare and special tale' VAISHNAVI...
Bellies
Dinan, Nicola
Paper Book
'Smart, hilarious and deeply moving' Elliot Page, author Pageboy 'Bellies announces Nicola Dinan as a genuine literary talent, a gimlet-eyed cartographer of the human heart' Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti 'Thoughtful, seductive, and...
Boy like me
Green, Simon James
Paper Book
  "Believable characters and the warmth of Green's writing bring light to a difficult topic" - Observer "Deliciously funny and self-referential" - Children's Books Ireland In the margins of a book's pages, sparks fly as a teenage romance begins. But in this time and...
The boy next door
Ireland, Jenny
Paper Book
The new novel by Carnegie Medal nominated author Jenny Ireland. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Jennifer Niven. Now she wasn't Molly Cassidy, St Anne's pain-in-the-hole princess. She was nine-year-old Molly who was my best friend in the whole world. Nobody had put her in the...
The boy who fell from the sky
Dean, Benjamin
Paper Book
Combining the warmth and heart of Ross Welford's The 1,000 Year Old Boy with the epic adventure and inseparable friendship of Frank Cottrell Boyce's Cosmic comes an otherworldly new middle grade adventure from the award-winning Benjamin Dean. Twelve-year-old Zed has...
Close to home
Magee, Michael
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE ROONEY PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2023 WINNER OF THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2023 WATERSTONES IRISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 Sean is back. Back in Belfast and back into old habits. Back on the mad all-nighters, the borrowed tenners and missing rent,...
The Fights That Make Us
Hagger-Holt, Sarah
Ebook
Final year
Goodfellow, Matt; Todd-Stanton, Joe
Paper Book
Life can be tough in your last year of primary school. Tests to take, preparing for the change to high school. Nate is ready for it all, knowing his best friend PS at his side - they've been inseparable since Nursery. But when they are put in two different classes and PS finds a new friend in...
Fire rush
Crooks, Jacqueline
Paper Book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2023 AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEAR It's time to dance, to love, to be free... 'Mesmerising' BERNARDINE...
Flower Block
Butterfield, Lanisha.
Paper Book
Winner of the 2025 Children's Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing Winner of Derby Book Festival's - Derby Children's Picture Book Award 2025 Shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2025 Illustrator Hoang Giang longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration...
Ghost girl, banana
Wharton, Wiz
Paper Book
*** SHORTLISTED FOR THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2024 *** *** LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD *** A GRAZIA BOOK CLUB PICK, Ghost Girl, Banana is a powerful debut novel about the family secrets unearthed by a surprise inheritance....
Glitter boy
Eagleton, Ian
Paper Book
  "You are an inspiration!" - Mariah Carey on Ian Eagleton "Poignant, defiantly fabulous story" - Guardian "Glitter Boy is a nuanced, heart-warming and character led story of finding joy and love " - Elle McNicoll, author of A Kind of Spark "An unflinching and...
Gwen & Art are not in love
Croucher, Lex
Paper Book
'Exactly what I needed right now - a delightful, heartwarming, hilarious historical romp, overflowing with queer panic and terrible jokes. I loved it' - ALICE OSEMAN, bestselling author of HEARTSTOPPER 'Fun and genuinely funny, with lovely friendships and first-rate...
The house of broken bricks : a novel
Williams, Fiona
Paper Book
Every marriage has its seasons...It's autumn when we meet Tess, but her relationship with Richard is in a deep, cold winter. A winter so harsh, their union may never see the bright light of spring. Tess is a Londoner whose relationship with Richard transports her from a...
Kicked out
Dassu, A.M.
Paper Book
This sequel to Dassu's award-winning debut,Boy, Everywhere,finds Ali and Sami living their dream, playing football for the school team and hanging out in their friend Mark's new luxury pool. But money goes missing and racism rears its ugly head when their friend Aadam is accused of the theft. Can...
King of nothing
Lessore, Nathanael
Paper Book
A laugh-out-loud teen comedy with heart from the Yoto Carnegie-shortlisted author of STEADY FOR THIS!
Maame
George, Jessica
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! * A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick * A February 2023 Indie Next Pick "Sparkling." --The New York Times "An utterly charming and deeply moving portrait of the joys<...
Mayowa And The Sea Of Words
Onuzo, Chibundu.
Paper Book
A million to one
Jaigirdar, Adiba
Paper Book
Adiba Jaigirdar, author of one of TIME's Best YA books of all time and winner of the YA Book Prize 2022, gives Titanic an Ocean's 8 makeover in this nail-biting heist set onboard the infamous ship. Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They...
Nightbloom : a novel
Medie, Peace Adzo
Paper Book
Inseparable when they were girls but now estranged, cousins Akorfa and Selasi have to repair the silences between them or lose each other forever in this moving novel set in Ghana and America from the author of Reese's Book Club pick His Only Wife. "Stunning." -...
Safiyyah's war
Khan, Hiba Noor
Paper Book
Small worlds
Nelson, Caleb Azumah
Paper Book
The one thing that can solve Stephen's problems is dancing. Dancing at Church, with his parents and brother, the shimmer of Black hands raised in praise; he might have lost his faith, but he does believe in rhythm. Dancing with his friends, somewhere in a basement with the drums about to drop, while...
Some like it cold
McNicoll, Elle
Paper Book
A big-hearted small-town romance from bestselling, award-winning author Elle McNicoll. Some Like it Cold is perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Beth Reekles and Gilmore Girls. '[A] warm, wonderful winter romance to cosy up with . . . a truly gorgeous book that's a must...
Steady for this
Lessore, Nathanael
Paper Book
Meet MC Growls, wannabe rapper and star of the show in the laugh-out-loud teen novel of the year!
The thief of Farrowfell
Guron, Ravena
Paper Book
Readers love the world of Farrowfell: 'Very exciting. I love the edible magic.' 'I absolutely adored it.' 'Highly recommended.' 'A very entertaining, well plotted and fast paced story.' 'The idea of edible magic was original and...
This book kills
Guron, Ravena
Paper Book
"For fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M McManus." The Observer "An awesome book, full of mystery, friendship and sass. ***** " The Sun *Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2024* *Shortlisted for the British Book Awards 2024* ----------------------------------------...
Those people next door
Abdullah, Kia
Paper Book
'A gripping page-turner about nightmare neighbours' Platinum 'A small act of malice between suburban neighbours snowballs, bringing tension and terror. Terrific and hugely thought-provoking' Ian Rankin 'One of my ten best reads of the year. Easy...
The witness
Wilson, Alexandra (Barrister)
Paper Book
The remarkable debut novel by prominent young mixed-race barrister Alexandra Wilson is a moving, twisty legal thriller for the 21st century.SHE SAW IT ALLBUT SHE CAN NEVER TELLA young black man is arrested for murder. The case against him is strong - a mum and a teacher saw him...
The wrong shoes
Percival, Tom
Paper Book
A beautiful and urgent exploration of the experience of child poverty from Tom Percival, creator of the bestselling Big Bright Feelings series, for fans of Boy at the Back of the Class. Working in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, £1 from the sale of a hardback...
Yoruba Boy Running
Bandele, Biyi.
Paper Book
"A true artist. A brilliant writer. An original thinker."--Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie A captivating, fictionalized retelling of African linguist and clergyman Samuel Ajayi Crowther's miraculous journey from slave to liberator. "Run, Àjàyí, run!" When Malian slave traders...
You think you know me
Mohamud, Ayaan
Paper Book
"Will leave you feeling moved and inspired. A must read!" Cosmopolitan A stunning debut about finding the strength to speak up against hate and fear, for fans of The Hate U Give and I Am Thunder. People like me are devils before we are angels. Hanan has always been...

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