The 2025 Jhalak Prize, which celebrates writers of colour in the UK and Ireland, has announced its shortlists, featuring seven African authors across Prose, Children’s & Young Adult, and Poetry categories.
The shortlists showcase voices from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Libya, and Somalia, reflecting the rich diversity of the African diaspora.
Selected by Jamaican writer and multi-award-winning poet, Jason Allen-Paisant, Malika Booker, Will Harris, Sareeta Domingo, Taran N. Khan, Yepoka Yeebo, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Hiba Noor Khan and author Alom Shaha, the eight African shortlistees are:
Prose:
- Varaidzo (Manny and the Baby, Zimbabwe)
- Hisham Matar (My Friends, Libya)
- Maame Blue (The Rest of You, Ghana)
- Aniefiok Ekpoudom (Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain, Nigeria).
Children’s & YA:
- Chibundu Onuzo (Mayowa and the Sea of Words, Nigeria)
- Ayaan Mohamud (The Thread That Connects Us, Somalia)
Poetry:
- Gboyega Odubanjo (Adam, Nigerian)
The Jhalak Prize, first awarded in 2017, celebrates books by writers of colour in the UK and Ireland, administered by the Jhalak Foundation to promote diversity and inclusion. Comprising the Jhalak Prose Prize, Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize (since 2020), and Jhalak Poetry Prize (added in 2024, supported by Ink Sweat & Tears), the awards honour fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more, including self-published works. Each winner receives £1,000 and a unique artwork from the Jhalak Art Residency. Shortlisted authors gain a one-year London Library membership, while winners receive two years.
Hosted by the British Library with live-streaming and backed by National Book Tokens and over 150 bookshops, the Jhalak Prize amplifies diverse voices in literature.
This year’s winner will be announced on June 4, 2025.
For more information on the shortlist or to explore these authors’ works, visit the official Jhalak Prize website.
Congratulations to all shortlisted authors!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
