Congrats to the robust list of winners!

A couple of weeks ago, the 2025 winners of The Diverse Book Awards were announced. There were so many terrific books that made the longlist and shortlist, but alas, all of them could not take home the prize. But the winners and runners-up that made the cut are books that really highlight the necessity and importance of diverse books.

Created by award-winning author Abiola Bello and award-winning publicist Helen Lewis and co-founders of The Author School, this award aims to highlight the best of the diverse voices published in the UK & Ireland, this year focusing on those published during 2022, both traditionally and self-published.

And now without further ado, here are the winners:

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Best Picture Book

Until You Find the Sun: A Story About Discovering Home Wherever You Go by Maryam Hassan and illustrated by Anna Wilson

An uplifting story about coping with change and finding your way in a new and unfamiliar place, by debut author Maryam Hassan, beautifully brought to life with illustrations by Anna Wilson.

Aminah’s life is full of warmth and joy, from days spent in the golden sunshine eating juicy mangoes, to evenings curled up reading adventure stories with her grandfather, Da.

But one day, Aminah is told she’ll be leaving with her parents for their very own adventure, one that will take her away from Da and the sunny comforts of the life she’s known . . . (Credit: Crocodile Books)

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Best Children’s Book

Birdie by J.P. Rose

Birdie Bagshaw has never known her parents. Having grown up in a children’s home for mixed race children in 1950s Leeds, now she has come to live with her great-aunt in the Yorkshire Dales. From her arrival, Birdie is treated like an outsider by the local children. When their bullying drives Birdie to hide in the nearby coal mine, she finds an unexpected rescuer in the form of Mr Duke, the last remaining pit pony in the village. As the weeks pass, Birdie forms a special bond with the spirited little pony. But his future is in danger, and Birdie comes up with a daring plan to save his life in return . . . (Credit: Andersen Press)

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Best Young Adult Book

Wild East by Ashley Hickson-Lovence

‘Pen in one hand, on my wrist, a ticking clock. I’ve got to make this work, just need a little luck…’

When fourteen-year-old Ronny’s life is struck by tragedy, his mum decides it’s finally time they move out of East London.

In his new city, as a Black teenager in a mostly white school, Ronny feels like a complete outsider and struggles to balance keeping his head down with his ambition of becoming a rapper.

But when a local poet comes into class, Ronny discovers a world he’s never considered before. Rap is like spoken word, bars equal poetry – and maybe the combination of both could be the key to achieving his dreams? (Credit: Penguin Random House Children’s UK)

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Best Adult Book

Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli

Her life. Her rules. Finally.

Anuri Chinasa has had enough. And really, who can blame her? She was the unwilling star of her stepmother’s social media empire before “momfluencers” were even a thing. For years, Ophelia documented every birthday, every skinned knee, every milestone and meltdown for millions of strangers to fawn over and pick apart.

Now, at twenty-five, Anuri is desperate to put her way-too-public past behind her and start living on her own terms. But it’s not going so great. She can barely walk down the street without someone recognizing her, and the fraught relationship with her father has fallen apart. Then there’s her PhD application (still unfinished) and her drinking problem (still going strong). When every detail of her childhood was so intensely scrutinized, how can she tell what she really wants?

Still, Ophelia is never far away and has made it clear she won’t go down without a fight. With Noelle, Anuri’s five-year-old half sister now being forced down the same path, Anuri discovers she has a new mission in life…

To take back control of the family narrative.

Through biting wit and heartfelt introspection, this darkly humorous story dives deep into the deceptive allure of a picture-perfect existence, the overexposure of children in social media and the excitement of self-discovery. (Credit: Graydon House)

The Readers’ Choice Awards 2025 Winners

The Readers’ Choice Awards award was created in 2023 in response of requests from schools to have more of a say in the awards. In the end, the committee decided to have a poll with all the longlisted books and encouraged readers to vote for their personal favorites across each category. 

So without further ado, here are the 2025 winners of the inaugural The Readers’ Choice Awards

Readers’ Choice Award 2025 – Picture Books

• First Place: Grandma’s Locs by Karen Arthur, illustrated by Camilla Ru
• Second Place: Me and My Hair by Kimberley Kinloch, illustrated by Jessica Gibson
• Third Place: Mama Car by Lucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George

Readers’ Choice Award 2025 – Children

• First Place: Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief by Claire Linney
• Second Place: Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo
• Third Place: Bringing Back Kay-Kay by Dev Kothari

Readers’ Choice Award 2025 – YA

• First Place: Desi Girl Speaking by A.S. Hussain
• Second Place: The Love Interest by Helen Comerford
• Third Place: Dancers of the Dawn by Zulekhá A. Afzal

Readers’ Choice Award 2025 – Adult

• First Place: The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron
• Second Place: Northern Boy by Iqbal Hussain
• Third Place: The Thirty Before Thirty List by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid

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