Roar Social Media Editor Nikita Dahiya on The Diverse Book Awards 2021, a platform for the recognition of diverse literature.
The year 2020 was – for the lack of a better term – an extremely tumultuous year, full of hurdles and obstacles, ripe with conflict and calls for change. However, one positive outcome of it would certainly be the fact that it gave rise to a multitude of – earlier – unheard voices, resulting in an almost explosive furore of stories deserving of a larger public platform.
The Diverse Book Awards 2021 offer to do just that.
Established in 2019 by Abiola Bello and Helen Lewis, founders of The Author School, The Diverse Book Awards offer a platform to UK based authors and publishers who produce diverse literature – be it Children’s fiction, Young Adult or Adult fiction. The awards are open to authors – both, traditionally and self-published – and are determined by an independent panel of judges.
Bello and Lewis: “In 2020, we saw plenty of books pushed back due to the pandemic, but we also saw a lot of energy invested into the creation of some high-quality, stand-out diverse and inclusive books. We hope that following the success of our first year, more and more authors and publishers feel compelled to nominate the books that represent their understanding of and appreciation for truly diverse and inclusive titles.”
The 2021 Awards are open to any such books first printed in the UK or Ireland between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020 (provided, the author has lived in either UK or Ireland three months prior to publication). The long list of awardees will be announced in July 2021, and the subsequent shortlist and winners will be announced in September and October 2021.
The winners in each category will receive a bundle of prizes including a beautiful glass trophy, a six-month PR and marketing membership of Literally PR’s ‘100 Club’, a feature online and virtual event with Back To Books, editorial content in Bad Form and Pen&Inc, the opportunity to be part of two author panel events – one hosted by The Author School and the other by Simon & Schuster.
The Children’s Fiction winner will have their book featured as part of World Book Day Story Book Club and participate in a school visit organised by World of Diversity. The YA winner will be part of Wigtown YA Literary Festival programme and participate in a school visit organised by World of Diversity. The Children’s and YA winners will also be featured on Tiny Revolution’s website and included in their catalogue of books.
You can submit your book for nomination at: https://www.thediversebookawards.co.uk/enter-the-db-awards-2021
