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
Away with words
Cameron, Sophie
Paper Book
Set in a world where words appear physically when people speak, AWAY WITH WORDS explores the importance of communication and being there for those we love. Gala and her dad, Jordi, have just moved from home in Cataluña to a town in Scotland, to live with Jordi's boyfriend...
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...
Bobby Bains plays a blinder
Rai, Bali
Paper Book
A young Sikh footballer reaches out across the generational divide to help a lonely old man in an uplifting story from acclaimed author Bali Rai. Bobby Bains loves football. He also loves helping other people. As a Sikh, it's part of his religion. While helping his mum at the...
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,...
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 JHALAK PRIZE 2024 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...
The first move
Ireland, Jenny
Paper Book
Juliet believes girls like her - girls with arthritis - don't get their own love stories. She exists at the edges of her friends' social lives, skipping parties to play online chess under a pseudonym with strangers around the world. There, she isn't just 'the girl with crutches'.
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 2025 ...
Ghost girl, Banana
Wharton, Wiz
Paper Book
*** 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. Set between Hong Kong in the 1960s and London in the 1990s, and revealing the hidden...
Gina Kaminski saves the wolf
Green, Craig
Paper Book
An empowering retelling of Little Red Riding Hoodabout challenging the traditional narratives we are told, with a confident, autistic character at its heart.   Gina Kaminski is here to tell you three facts. 1 - Little Red Riding Hood is full of BIG mistakes. ...
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 and Art are not in love
Croucher, Lex
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller! "A total, rollicking delight. Gwen & Art gave me the same cheeky, swoony, giddy, irresistible high of the first time I saw A Knight's Tale. Lex Croucher is one of my favorite romcom authors, and they should be yours...
The house of broken bricks
Williams, Fiona
Paper Book
Lyrical and powerful - a tender debut about family, loss and life in the countryside.
How (not) to have an arranged marriage
Khan, Amir
Paper Book
I'm going to be a princess
Taylor, Stephanie (Children's author)
Paper Book
A warm and witty celebration of the lives of amazing Black women.
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
" Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman. It's fair to say that Maddie's life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie...
Mayowa and the Sea of Words
Onuzo, Chibundu
Paper Book
'Joyful and truly original' - Katherine Rundell, author of Impossible Creatures WARNING: DO NOT JUMP ON THIS BOOK! Have you ever jumped on a book? Perhaps not. Most people would think it was a rather unusual thing to do. ...
A million to one
Jaigirdar, Adiba
Paper Book
2024 Rainbow Book List Adiba Jaigirdar, author of one of Time's Best YA books of all time, gives Titanic an Ocean's 8 makeover in this nail-biting heist set onboard the infamous ship. Josefa is an unapologetic and charismatic thief who loves the thrill of the chase. She has her eye...
Nightbloom
Medie, Peace Adzo
Paper Book
  'Remarkable' Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters' Street  AKORFA AND SELASI WERE ONCE INSEPARABLE. NOW, THEY MUST REPAIR THEIR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP OR LOSE EACH OTHER FOREVER. Growing up in the same small Ghanaian town, Selasi and Akorfa were more than just...
One little word
Coelho, Joseph
Paper Book
The next picture book from Waterstones Childrens Laureate, Joseph Coelho and Allison Colpoys, One Little Word is a powerful and poetic story about two best friends who are forced apart by a big argument that turns up in the form of a hairy monster.
Priya Mistry and the paw prints puzzle
Sharma, Babita
Paper Book
Introducing Priya Mistry - corner shop super sleuth! She's a Mistry by name, and mysteries are her game. When some puzzling paw prints appear on the floor of her family's corner shop, Priya grabs her mission kit and kicks off an investigation. Can Priya crack the case and...
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, Rainbow Rowell and Gilmore Girls. After a long absence, 18-year-old Jasper is finally heading home for the holidays - and she's...
Stop! That's not my story
Halls, Smriti
Paper Book
'A brilliant rhyming picture book that will help children see themselves at the centre of a story.' Joseph Coelho, Children's Laureate A joyful, empowering call to be the hero of your OWN story! A girl opens up a book looking for the story that's perfect...
The storm swimmer
Weze, Clare
Paper Book
The author of THE LIGHTNING CATCHER is back with an exciting, imaginative and heartfelt middle grade novel perfect for fans of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant and The Shark Caller. Summer was supposed to be Ginika's time for fun, friends and fairs. But...
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*-------------------------------------------------- "I'll make it clear from the...
Those people next door
Abdullah, Kia
Paper Book
'Terrific and hugely thought-provoking' Ian Rankin 'One of my ten best reads of the year. Easy five stars' Lisa Jewell * Waterstones Thriller of the Month - August 2023 * * * * You can choose your house. Not your neighbours. WELCOME TO YOUR...
To the other side
Meza, Erika
Paper Book
*Winner of Best Picture Book at the Diverse Book Award 2024* 'A thoughtful, profound, important book' Irish Independent 'A realistic but hopeful look at two children's emigration' Publishers Weekly Powerful and timely, To The Other Side...
Until you find the sun
Hassan, Maryam
Paper Book
*Winner of Best Picture Book at the Diverse Book Awards 2025* *Shortlisted for the Inclusive Books for Children Awards 2025* "A bright, empathetic picture book about adapting to change and maintaining connections with loved ones far away" Guardian ...
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...

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