British Fantasy Awards 2023 shortlists announced.

The shortlists for the British Fantasy Awards 2023 were announced on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. These are the writers of African descent in the running.

The British Fantasy Awards are awarded annually by the British Fantasy Society since 1976. The current award categories are Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award), Best Horror Novel (the August Derleth Award), Best Novella, Best Short Story, Best Independent Press, Best Artist, Best Anthology, Best Collection, Best Comic/Graphic Novel, Best Non-Fiction, and Best Newcomer (the Sydney J. Bounds Award), while the Karl Edward Wagner Award for “important contribution to the genre or the Society” is given at the discretion of a committee.

In 2020, there were several writers of African descent winners in Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, Nisi Shawl, as well as the Fiyah magazine. The winners in 2021 were P. Djèlí Clark,Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald, and Zelda Knight.

The shortlists for 2023 were announced on Tuesday with the following writers of African descent in the running;

Best Anthology

Jurors: Chris Butler, Robin CM Duncan, Ian Hunter, Mira Manga, Abbi Shaw

• Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction, ed. Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki & Zelda Knight (Tordotcom)

Best Non-fiction

Jurors: Cerys Gardner, Susan Maxwell, Kevin McVeigh, TJ Moules, Aparna Sivasankar

• An Earnest Blackness, Eugen Bacon (Anti-Oedipus Press)

The Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer

Jurors: Liz Delton, Michael Dodd, Fabienne Schwizer, Arturo Serrano, Stephen Theaker

• Somto Ihezue, for a collection of short stories: Whole; Like Stars Daring to Shine; A Girl is Blood, Spirit and Fire; The Carving of War

Reactions

Ahhhhhh!!!! I made the shortlist for The British Fantasy (Sydney J. Bounds) Best Newcomer Award. Thanks to the folks who published me, the kind people who nominated, and the jury who deemed me worthy. I am beyond honoured✨

Somto Ihezue

Thank you! AFRICA RISEN is honored on the 2023 British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology shortlist! So proud of these stories. Congrats to the authors, my fellow co-eds @Penprince_ @AuthorZKnight & many thanks to the jurors & the @TorDotComPub team

Sheree Renée Thomas

So I’m a finalist in the British Fantasy award, with the Africa Risen anthology I co-edited. 🥰 Congrats to my amazing co-editors Sheree Renée Thomas & Author Z. Knight, our publisher & entire Tor.com Publishing & team, all the writers and persons who contributed to the book, & the other finalists. Congrats! 🥳🥳.

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

The winners will be announced later in the year.