Benjamin Zephaniah and Tammye Huf won in their categories at the Diverse Book Awards 2021 announced on October 21, 2021.
The Diverse Book Awards were created by Abiola Bello and Helen Lewis, founders of The Author School to celebrate the diversity of writing in the UK in 2019.
The judges for 2021 are Amy Mae Baxter the founder and editor-in-chief of Bad Form Review, Cassie Chadderton the World Book Day CEO, Ama Badu the FAB Website Editor and editorial assistant at Faber Children, and Alexia Pepper De Caires the owner of Back to Books Indie shop. The teen judges are Nandika Paheerathan and Nicky Anderson. This team selected the best diverse book in the three age groups of Children, Young Adult, and Adult in the UK.
The longlists for the awards featuring writers of African descent were announced on July 27 before the shortlists were announced on September 20. The winners of African descent in their categories are;
Best Children’s Book
Winner
- Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah (Scholastic Children’s Books)
Runners up
- Too Small Tola by Atinuke, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu (Walker Books)
- Clean Up by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola, Nathan Bryon (Penguin Random House Children’s)
Adult
Winner
- A More Perfect Union by Tammye Huf (Myriad Editions)
Runners up
- The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Oneworld)
Tammye Huf responded with the tweet, “I am so thrilled and so honoured! Thank you @The_DBAwards”
