The Diverse Book Awards, sponsored by Akan Books, returns for its sixth year, once again highlighting the most inclusive, empowering, and representative books published in the UK and Ireland.
With over 250 submissions across four categories—Picture Books, Children’s, YA and Adult Fiction—this year marks another record-breaking celebration of diverse storytelling.
Co-founded by bestselling, award-winning author Abiola Bello and prize-winning publicist Helen Lewis, The Diverse Book Awards shines a spotlight on the best, inclusive books to stock in bookshops, libraries, classrooms, book clubs and homes. The awards champion authors and illustrators whose work represents the richness and complexity of real lives and real communities.
Readers’ Choice Award – everyone is invited to vote for their winner from the longlist!
With continued interest and success, the Readers’ Choice Award is back—giving readers across the UK and Ireland the chance to vote for their favourite book in each category.
Vote now for your favourites: https://bit.ly/DBAReadersChoice2025
Voting closes: 1 September 2025
Shortlist revealed: 8 September 2025
Winners announced: 9 October 2025 at Waterstones Piccadilly, London
With thousands of votes cast last year, the Readers’ Choice Award has become an exciting part of The Diverse Book Awards. Teachers, librarians, booksellers and readers of all ages have embraced this opportunity to shout about the books they love—and help them get the attention they deserve.
As the 2025 longlist is officially unveiled today, the awards team hope this essential reading list continues to serve as a guide for those seeking stories that reflect a wider range of experiences and voices. All titles on the longlist were published in 2024 by authors and illustrators based in the UK and Ireland.
Abiola Bello, co-founder of The DBAs:
“Every year, the standard gets higher—and 2025 is no exception. The sheer talent and passion poured into these stories is awe-inspiring. It’s a joy and a privilege to help these diverse and inclusive books reach the readers who need them most. Thank you to every author, illustrator, agent and publisher who continues to back this mission.”
Helen Lewis, co-founder of The DBAs:
“We are proud to be in our sixth year and absolutely blown away by the calibre of this year’s longlist. We’re especially excited to see the continued enthusiasm for the Readers’ Choice Award. Watching these books connect with readers in such a direct way is truly powerful. Let’s get voting and show these creators how much their work matters!”
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The Official Diverse Book Awards 2025 Longlist
THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2025 PICTURE BOOKS LONGLIST
A Fairy Called Fred by Robert Tregoning & Stef Murphy (Bloomsbury Children’s)
Aqua Boy by Ken Wilson-Max (Otter-Barry Books)
Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield & Hoang Giang (Puffin)
Grandma’s Locs by Karen Arthur & Camilla Ru (Tate)
Mama Car by Lucy Catchpole & Karen George (Faber)
Me and my Hair by Kimberley Kinloch & Jessica Gibson (Usborne)
My Name is a Gift by Zeshan Akhter & Åsa Gilland (Templar)
Olu’s Teacher by Jamel C. Campbell & Lydia Mba (Walker Books)
Pearl and her Bunch by Momoko Abe (Orchard)
Priya Mistry and the Paw Prints Puzzle by Babita Sharma & Ali Pye (Orchard)
Strong Like Me by Kelechi Okafor & Michaela Dias-Hayes (Puffin)
The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind by Fiona Carswell & Yu Rong (Otter-Barry Books)
The Language of Flowers by Shyala Smith & Aaron Asis (Lantana)
Until You Find the Sun by Maryam Hassan & Anna Wilson (Hodder Children’s Books)
THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2025 CHILDREN’S FICTION LONGLIST
Alyssa and the Spell Garden by Alexandra Sheppard (Faber)
Birdie by J.P. Rose (Andersen Press)
Bobby Bains Plays a Binder by Bali Rai & Daniel Duncan (Barrington Stoke)
Bringing Back Kay-Kay by Dev Kothari (Walker Books)
Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo (Bloomsbury Children’s)
The Boy Who Fell from the Sky by Benjamin Dean (Simon & Schuster Children’s)
The Cheat Book (Vol. 1) by RAMZEE (Hodder Children’s Books)
The Fights That Make Us by Sarah Hagger-Holt (Usborne)
The Nine Night Mystery by Sharna Jackson (Puffin)
The Super Sunny Murder Club written & edited by Serena Patel and Robin Stevens, by Abiola Bello, Maisie Chan, Benjamin Dean, Nizrana Farook, Roopa Farooki, Sharna Jackson, Patrice Lawrence, Elle McNicoll, E.L. Norry, Annabelle Sami, Dominique Valente, and illustrated by Harry Woodgate (Farshore)
The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster Children’s)
Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief by Claire Linney (Self-published)
We Are Family: Six Kids and a Super-Dad! by Oliver Sykes & Ian Morris (Otter-Barry Books)
When I Feel Red by Lily Bailey (Orion Children’s)
THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2025 YA FICTION LONGLIST
Damien Ike and the Fallen House of Draven by Dee Benson & David Arlo (Hot Key Books)
Dancers of the Dawn by Zulekhá A. Afzal (Rock the Boat)
Desi Girl Speaking by A.S. Hussain (Hot Key Books)
I Never Shall Fall in Love by Hari Conner (Simon & Schuster)
If My Words Had Wings by Danielle Jawando (Simon & Schuster)
King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore (Hot Key Books)
Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher (Bloomsbury Children’s)
Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll (First Ink)
The Big Ask by Simon James Green (Barrington Stoke)
The Boy Next Door by Jenny Ireland (Penguin Random House Children’s)
The Thread That Connects Us by Ayaan Mohamud (Usborne)
The Love Interest by Helen Comerford (Bloomsbury Children’s)
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Usborne)
Wild East by Ashley Hickson-Lovence (Penguin Random House Children’s)
THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2025 ADULT FICTION LONGLIST
Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli (Magpie)
Alter Ego by Helen Heckety (Renegade Books)
Godzilla and the Songbird by Manzu Islam (Peepal Tree Press)
Ground by Jadelin Gangbo (Jacaranda)
Lost Love Songs by Ingrid Persaud (Faber)
Northern Boy by Iqbal Hussain (Unbound)
Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands (Phoenix)
Rinsing Mũkami’s Soul by Njambi McGrath (Jacaranda)
The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron (Piatkus)
The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams (Faber)
The Thirty Before Thirty List by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid (Zaffre)
The Witness by Alexandra Wilson (Sphere, Little, Brown)
Vengeance by Saima Mir (Point Blank)
Yorùbá Boy Running by Biyi Bándélé (Hamish Hamilton)
