The winners of the African Speculative Fiction Society’s Nommo Awards were announced in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday, August 10, 2024.
In the African literary space, magical realism, Sci-Fi, horror, and graphic novels have been bunched together as “speculative fiction” by the African Speculative Fiction Society. That organisation introduced the Nommo Awards to celebrate writers in the categories of Best Speculative Novel by an African, Best Speculative Novella by an African, Best Speculative Short Story by an African, and Best Graphic Novel/Comic by an African. It has been won by among others Nnedi Okorafor, Tade Thompson, Akwaeke Emezi, Tochi Onyebuchi, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Nana Akosua Hanson, Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald, Innocent Chizaram Ilo, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Chikodili Emelumadu, Nerine Dorman, T. L. Huchu, Nnedi Okorafor, Roye Okupe, and Pemi Aguda.
The shortlists for 2024 were announced on June 12 before the winners were made public over the weekend. The Nommo Awards famously don’t have a set venue or event to announce their winners and this year was no different as Glasgow 2024, the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention, was the platform for the revelation. The winners on the magical night in Scotland emceed by Special Guest T.L. Huchu are;
Best Speculative Novel by an African
- Shigidi and the Brass Head of Olabufon, Wole Talabi (Gollancz and DAW Books, 2023)
Wole Talabi said, “Thank you Tom Ilube, CBE and the ASFS membership who voted for this story. I am truly honored to accept this award, but the first thing I want to do is to point out that we are all winners tonight because literature is not a competitive sport. If not we’d be in Paris, at the Olympics, not in Glasgow. Every one of us who reads or writes stories wins something in the expansion of our minds and hearts. And I read so many wonderful stories last year. So, thank you. And congratulations everyone, especially my fellow nominees Eloghosa, Stephen, Ukamaka, Chikodili, and Suyi. You wrote spectacular books, and the African speculative literary community recognized you for that. I am blessed to be among you.”
Best Speculative Novella by an African
- Undulation, Stephen Embleton (Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology, ed Wole Talabi, Android Press, 2023)
Best Speculative Short Story by an African
- A Name is a Plea and a Prophecy, Gabrielle Emem Harry (Strange Horizons 14 August, 2023)
Best Speculative Graphic Novel by an African (Joint Winners)
- Grimm’s Assistant, Mamode Ogbewele (Mode Comics, 2023)
- WindMaker volume 1, Roye Okupe and artist Sunkanmi Akinboye and colourist Toyin Ajetunmobi. Cover Artist: Godwin Akpan (Dark Horse Comics, 2022)
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