The shortlist for the 2026 British Book Awards, affectionately known as “The Nibbies,” has been unveiled, highlighting a powerful showing for African and Diaspora literature across several major categories, per thebritishblacklist.co.uk.
Global literary icon Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie features in the Fiction category for Dream Count. Her first novel in over a decade, the book explores the interconnected lives of four women navigating three continents during the pandemic. Already a critical success, the novel continues to collect accolades on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the Audiobook: Fiction category, Oyinkan Braithwaite earns a nod for Cursed Daughters. The Nigerian-British author, best known for the Booker-longlisted My Sister, the Serial Killer, delivers a haunting exploration of intergenerational trauma, brought to life by a multi-cast narration.
The awards also celebrate emerging voices and younger audiences like Serena Holly’s The Other Father Christmas nominated for Discover Book of the Year, following a grandson’s quest to help his grandfather become the next Santa.
Selina Brown and illustrator Maxwell A. Oginni are shortlisted in Children’s Non-Fiction & Illustrated for My Rice Is Best, a humorous culinary showdown between “rice and peas” and “jollof rice.”
The British Book Awards celebrate the vital link between creators and their readers. The winners will be announced on May 11 during a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House, which will also be available via livestream.
