Thank you to our judges for helping us to create the shortlist. These are the top 9 diverse UK and Ireland books in Picture Books, Children's, YA and Adult fiction. The winner will be announced in October 10th 2024.
Please do support all of these amazing books. Don't forget to use the hashtag #TheDBAwards
Picture Book
A Hero Like Me by Angela Joy & Jen Reid, illustrated by Leire Salaberria (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf by Craig Barr-Green, illustrated by Francis Martin (Little Tiger)
Grandad's Pride by Harry Woodgate (Andersen Press)
I'm Going to Be a Princess by Stephanie Taylor, illustrated by Jade Orlando (Nosy Crow)
Not Now, Noor! by Farhana Islam, illustrated by Nabila Adani (PRH Children's)
One Little Word by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Allison Colpoys (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
Shine by Sarah Asuquo, illustrated by Nadia Fisher (Scholastic)
Stop! That's Not My Story by Smriti Halls, illustrated by Erika Meza (Simon & Schuster Children's)
To The Other Side by Erika Meza (Hodder Children's Books)
Children's
A Different Kind of Freedom: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill (Scholastic)
Glitter Boy by Ian Eagleton (Scholastic)
Glow Up Lara Bloom by Dee Benson (Hot Key Books)
Kicked Out by A.M. Dassu (Old Barn Books)
Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan (Andersen Press)
Steady For This by Nathanael Lessore (Hot Key Books)
The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Otter-Barry Books)
The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
The Thief of Farrowfell by Ravena Guron, illustrated by Aleesia Trunfio (Faber)
YA
A Million To One by Adiba Jaigirdar (Hodder Children's Books)
Away With Words by Sophie Cameron (Little Tiger)
Boy Like Me by Simon James Green (Scholastic)
Gwen and Art are NOT in Love by Lex Croucher (Bloomsbury YA)
My Life As A Chameleon by Diana Anyakwo (Atom)
This Book Kills by Ravena Guron (Usborne)
The First Move by Jenny Ireland (Penguin Random House Children's)
Wild Song by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books)
You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud (Usborne)
Adult
Bellies by Nicola Dinan (Doubleday)
Close to Home by Michael Magee (Hamish Hamilton)
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks (Jonathan Cape)
Ghost Girl, Banana by Wiz Wharton (Hodder and Stoughton)
How (Not) to Have an Arranged Marriage by Dr Amir Khan (Macmillan)
Maame by Jessica George (Hodder and Stoughton)
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie (Oneworld)
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Viking)
Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah (HarperCollins)