Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour today announced that Mahmud El Sayed is the winner of the 2023 prize, for his novel What the Crew Wants.
The runner up is Ali Mahdi, with his novel Light at Midnight.
The winner and runner-up were chosen from a shortlist of eight by judges Aliette de Bodard, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, Nikita Gill and Syima Aslam.
El Sayed wins £4,000 and was announced as the winner at an awards ceremony in London this evening. What the Crew Wants is set on the city-ship Safina, 200 years into its journey to establish a new home for humanity. When the generation ship unexpectedly crashes out of warp, the crew faces their biggest test yet.
The judges said: “What the Crew Wants is a very new and fresh take on the Generation Ship, taking the concept and going to some brilliant places with it. The protagonist was well developed, and the world building was excellent, with high stakes. It’s a powerful and unusual story. We felt like we were walking inside the spaceship, seeing all the different people living their lives.”
Mahdi wins £2,000 as the runner-up. Light at Midnight is set in a dystopian London in the near future, and sees protagonist Nur sign up for vocational college. Here, he is cut off from his family and put through visceral and dehumanising training environments, Nur must try to distinguish VR from dreams from reality, and to remember who he really is.
The judges said: “We found Light at Midnight compelling, with a relatable protagonist. There was something incredibly dark and powerful about this story, and it’s stayed with us since we read it. It has some very sharp lines, and in just a few details evokes a situation that doesn’t feel that far off our present.”
The six runners-up of the prize will each receive £800. They are (in alphabetical order by author surname):
Dawn in Arborellum by Ama Josephine Budge. An uncanny story of interspecies co-dependence, sensuality and isolation in the wake of climate colonialist catastrophe, the judges loved the detail of Dawn in Arborellum and felt they were reading something new.
The Archer and the Oracle by Anne Elicaño-Shields. The judges found this story of a 17-year-old Filipino-British oracle who swaps places with Eros, the teenage god of love, very readable and humourous.
The Taste of a Planet by Arianne Maki. Set on an extra-terrestrial Japanese colony in a near-distant future, the judges thought this ambitious novel featured sharply observed relationships between characters.
Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson. The panel was gripped by the dynamism and pace in the opening pages of this magical quest narrative.
The Breath of Silence by Melanie Reynard. Following a series of characters in Arden, a land where science and religion have suppressed magic, the panel was impressed by the world building of this novel and wanted to spend more time with the characters.
Wisteria Chumleigh by Calah Singleton. The judges praised the world building and imagination of this piece of cosy witch-lit.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour aims to find new talent based in the UK writing in the SFF space, from magical realism and space operas to dystopia and more.
All shortlisted writers, the runner-up and the winner will also receive mentoring from one of the prize’s publishing partners: Gollancz, Orbit, Hodderscape, Tor and Bloomsbury.
Future Worlds Prize was founded by bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch in 2020, and was previously named the Gollancz and Rivers of London BAME SFF Award. The prize is financially supported by Aaronovitch and Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh. It is administered by Future Worlds Prize CIC, a not-for-profit organisation.
Last year’s prize was won by M H Ayinde, who has since secured an agent for her novel A Shadow In Chains. The 2020 prize was won by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson for The Principle of Moments, a space-based adventure story. Jikiemi-Pearson has since secured a publishing deal with Gollancz, and her debut novel will be released in 2024.
The Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour announced its shortlist for the 2023 prize on May 5.
Dawn in Arborellum by Ama Josephine Budge
What the Crew Wants by Mahmud El Sayed
The Archer and the Oracle by Anne Elicaño-Shields
Light at Midnight by Ali Mahdi
The Taste of a Planet by Arianne Maki
Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson
The Breath of Silence by Melanie Reynard
Wisteria Chumleigh by Calah Singleton
The prize will be judged by: Syima Aslam – founder of Bradford Literature Festival; Aliette de Bodard – author and winner of three Nebula Awards, an Ignyte Award, a Locus Award, a British Fantasy Award and five British Science Fiction Association Awards; Nikita Gill – poet and author of seven volumes of poetry and one novel in verse; and Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson – inaugural winner of Future Worlds Prize.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour aims to find new talent based in the UK writing in the SFF space, from magical realism and space operas to dystopia and more. The winner will receive a prize of £4,000, the runner-up £2,000 and the remaining six shortlisted authors will each receive £800. All shortlisted writers, the runner-up and the winner will also receive mentoring from one of the prize’s publishing partners. The winner of the Future Worlds Prize 2023 will be announced at an event at Hachette UK on Monday 22 May.
The prize’s publishing partners are Bloomsbury Publishing, Orion Books’ Gollancz, Little,Brown’s SFF imprint Orbit, Hodder’s Hodderscape, and Pan Macmillan’s Tor.
Future Worlds Prize was founded by bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch in 2020, and was previously named the Gollancz and Rivers of London BAME SFF Award. The prize is financially supported by Aaronovitch and Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh. It is administered by Future Worlds Prize CIC, a not-for-profit organisation.
Last year’s prize was won by M H Ayinde, who has since secured an agent for her novel A Shadow in Chains. The 2020 prize was won by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson for The Principle of Moments. Jikiemi-Pearson has since secured a publishing deal with Gollancz, and her debut novel will be released in 2023.
About the shortlisted authors and work
Dawn in Arborellum by Ama Josephine Budge
Ama Josephine Budge is a Speculative Writer, Artist, Curator and Pleasure Activist whose praxis navigates intimate explorations of Blackness, aesthetics, ecology and feminism. Ama’s speculative fiction, art writing and essays have been commissioned and published internationally, and she is in the final stages of her PhD at Birkbeck University of London.
Blurb for Dawn in Arborellum
Dawn in Arborellum is an uncanny story of interspecies co-dependence, sensuality and isolation in the wake of climate colonialist catastrophe. Now existing in a new solar system, humans survey the worlds that surround them, determined not to repeat the destructive mistakes of their past. Arboreal specialist Thea, has been awarded a coveted twenty-five year residency on the green planet of Arborellum to study the enormous trees that inhabit it, her solitude broken only by the appearance of her designated Wellness Counsellor every three years. But this year, the cryptic yet compelling First Guardian Selen Ami arrives, seemingly more interested in her research than her wellbeing. It seems that everything is not as it should be on Earth, nor indeed on Arborellum.
What the Crew Wants by Mahmud El Sayed
After reading Frank Herbert’s Dune, aged 12, Mahmud spent his summer holidays in Egypt trying to summon a sandworm. When that didn’t work, he decided to become a writer. A British-Egyptian writer and translator based in London, he is keen on cats, libraries and anything science fiction.
Blurb for What the Crew Wants
The blackouts are getting worse. Two hundred years into its journey to establish a new home for humanity, power on the city-ship Safina is faltering. When the generation ship unexpectedly crashes out of warp, the crew face their biggest test yet. A race against time amid dwindling resources to get the ship back underway. Rising protests against a stagnant Administration. And, oh yeah, the colonists in the hold—the crew’s own ancestors—are beginning to wake up from cryo-stasis and are not best pleased to find themselves trapped on a ship that is slowly dying. What the Crew Wants is a retelling of the Arab Spring… in space! It is the story of how you are your language and how, sometimes, there is no choice but to take a stand.
The Archer and the Oracle by Anne Elicaño-Shields
Anne Elicaño-Shields, a Filipino author, writes YA and adult fiction. Previously based in Manila, Bangkok, and Washington DC, her writing is inspired by the myths, folklore, and urban legends of these places. Her awards include Creative Future Writers Award, FAB Prize, the London Writers Awards, and more. Anne lives in London with her husband and two children.
Blurb for The Archer and the Oracle
Sparks fly when a present day 17-year-old Filipino-British oracle swaps places with Eros, the teenage god of love. It’s all fun and first times, time travel, and madcap matchmaking — but can the two find happiness together when their deal inadvertently opens the door to shapeshifter hunting Eros to usher the disappearance of love from the world?
Light at Midnight by Ali Mahdi
Ali works as an auditor in the corporate world and is training as a transpersonal psychotherapist. His work explores dreams, sacred psychology, and what it means to be human in the age of machines.
Blurb for Light at Midnight
Nur has signed up for vocational college – his only chance at a real life as a re-naturalised, fully integrated citizen. Cut off from his family and put through visceral and dehumanising training environments – Gulag, the Ministry of Dreams and Dog Week – he tries to distinguish VR from dreams from reality, and to remember who he really is.
The Taste of a Planet by Arianne Maki
Arianne Maki is a mixed Japanese-Indonesian who grew up in Scotland and England. They have recently gained an MA in Ecology, Culture, and Society, where they pursued interests in critical animal and plant studies. Arianne hopes to further explore multispecies relations in writing, and to create weird, touchy-feely fiction that helps someone to feel a little more seen.
Blurb for The Taste of a Planet
On an extra-terrestrial Japanese colony in a near-distant future, the everyday lives of a cranky grandmother, an overworked journalist, and a wannabe celebrity are loaded with questions of agency. The city they inhabit is lush and humid—perfect for the supposedly unpickable, giant edamame-like “beans” that have mysteriously sprouted throughout the streets. More questions soon arise: what exactly are the beans? How do they entwine with the upcoming independence referendum? Why—on this Earth and the next—should anyone care about alien beans in the first place? In answering these, the grandmother, the journalist, and the wannabe must each confront their own innermost fears. The truth is often scary but, in the end, it is always delicious.
Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson
Marvellous Michael Anson is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes stories that explore the multi-faceted human condition. She has been creating poems, short stories, theatre and film for over a decade. Marve has been shortlisted for awards such as the 2022 Jericho Writers Friday Night Live Competition and the 2022 Kit De Waal Bursary, and she hosts Facebook writing group Writers Connect.
Blurb for Firstborn of the Sun
Everyone in the kingdom of Oru is born with agbara—the ability to draw magic from the sun. Everyone that is, except Lọ́rẹ. When the gods call for her best friend’s life, the home she grew up in becomes the prison she must escape. The Holy Order sends their deadliest assassin after her, but she just might be her own worst enemy. She must choose who needs saving, her family, her kingdom or herself.
The Breath of Silence by Melanie Reynard
With a background in film & TV, Melanie Reynard now works in garden design and dabbles in the mystic arts of social media marketing for a landscaping company. Reading and writing fiction every spare minute she gets, she juggles life with two young children, volunteer work and a neurotic cat. Despite living in London & Surrey for over twenty years, her Lancashire accent persists.
Blurb for The Breath of Silence
Science and religion have suppressed magic in Arden, but not for much longer. Ordered to steal a cursed relic, Fry, a warrior with a fierce determination to prove herself must risk exposing her forbidden powers or fail her quest. Tailed by an immortal witch seeking the relic to unlock her power, Fry is faced with either accepting exile—or working with Kris, a rival smuggler. But Kris is a skilled liar, superstitious about magic, and has his own secrets and spiritual demons to fight. To stop the witch and return magic to the world, they’ll have to learn the hardest lesson of all: to trust each other.
Wisteria Chumleigh by Calah Singleton
Calah Singleton is an editor at an independent publishing house. Originally from the United States, she’s lived in London for nearly a decade. When not writing or reading, she fiddles with her band, paints, and wanders around in nature living out her cottage-core dreams.
Blurb for Wisteria Chumleigh
Wisteria Chumleigh: rebellious, cynical, a disappointing middle child and mediocre witch. Summoned back home to the magical enclave of Fayre Havering, she thinks it’ll give her time to figure out her life – but she becomes entangled in a series of murders that threaten the fragile peace of the village. Murders apparently linked to a decades-old cold case, one whose solution may be closer to home than Wisteria realises…
The prize is now in its third year, and is funded by author Ben Aaronovitch and Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour aims to find new talent writing in the SFF space, from magical realism and space operas to dystopia and more. The winner will receive a prize of £4,000, the runner-up £2,000 and up to six additional shortlisted authors will each receive £800. All shortlisted writers, the runner-up and the winner will also receive mentoring from one of the prize’s publishing partners.
Submission will be taken until 23:59 GMT on Monday, February 6, 2023.
The 2021 prize was won by M. H. Ayinde, for her story A Shadow in Chains. The runner-up was Salma Ibrahim for her story Frankincense.
The prize began taking entries today, the day before NaNoWriMo begins. Throughout November, to mark NaNoWriMo and inspire writers, the Future Worlds Prize will be sharing writing tips and advice on its social media from authors of colour in the SFF space. These authors include Tade Thompson, Vaishnavi Patel, Sue Lynn Tan and Saara El-Arifi, as well as previous shortlistees of the prize.
Ben Aaronovitch said: “It is hugely satisfying to see Future Worlds Prize going into its third year and settling into its place in the busy literary awards scene. Since we launched in 2020, we’ve been blown away by the imagination and storytelling powers of all of our entrants, and delighted to see our shortlisted writers working with their publishing mentors and going on to secure agents. We knew when we started that there would be some undiscovered gems, but were truly unprepared for the rich seam of talent from writers of colour that we’ve struck.
“None of this would be possible, of course, without our amazing publishing partners, and we’re looking forward to working with even more of them this time, but I don’t think I’m allowed to talk about this yet…”
Adjoa Andoh said: “In the third year of Future Worlds Prize we hope to further increase the pool of writers of colour choosing to work in science fiction and fantasy. We encourage those on the journey to first publication to bring their work to us, to apply for this prize, receive expert support and advice and flourish in their chosen field to the great benefit of all of the readership.”
The prize was founded in 2020 by Ben Aaronovitch and Gollancz. The 2020 prize was won by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson for The Principle of Moments, a space-based adventure story. Jikiemi-Pearson has since secured a publishing deal with Gollancz, and her debut novel will be released in 2023.
In 2021 it was rebranded as Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour, and became a community interest company in 2022, co-directed by Sarah Shaffi and Andy Ryan.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour has announced M H Ayinde is the winner of the 2021 prize, for her novel A Shadow in Chains.
The runner up is Salma Ibrahim, with her novel Frankincense.
The winner and runner-up were chosen from a shortlist of eight by judges Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Lloyd Bradley, Valerie Brandes, Shobna Gulati, Zahra Hankir and Tasha Suri.
Ayinde wins £4,000. Her novel is set in a place called the Nine Lands, where only those of noble blood can summon their ancestors to fight in battle. But when a commoner from the slums accidentally invokes a powerful spirit, she finds it could hold the key to ending a centuries-long war.
The judges said of A Shadow in Chains: “A Shadow in Chains is a cool and confident novel, excellently written, that feels very now. We wanted to be in the world of the novel as we read it, and felt this was a book doing something very exciting in the SFF space.”
Ibrahim wins £2,000. Frankincense follows a character called Sidra Ali, who on her way to work on a London bus finds herself arriving in a parallel universe in modern day Mogadishu, Somalia. There she discovers what life would be like if her family hadn’t left Somalia during the civil war.
The judges said of Frankincense: “This is an evocative and layered novel with great potential. It feels original yet recognisable, and we loved that it centred working class experiences.”
The six runners-up of the prize will each receive £800. They are (in alphabetical order by author surname):
The Sawling by Jordan Collins
In the City of Villages by Franchesca Liauw
Margot, Who Is Beautiful Now by Bea Pantoja
The Warden by Madeehah Reza
Contracts Made in Gold by Aqeelah Seedat
A Box Full of Stories by Fatima Taqvi.
The winner and runner-up were announced at an event held at The London Library on Wednesday, February 16.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour aims to find new talent based in the UK writing in the SFF space, from magical realism and space operas to dystopia and more.
All shortlisted writers, the runner-up and the winner will also receive mentoring from one of the prize’s publishing partners: HarperCollins’ SFF imprint HarperVoyager, Penguin Random House UK’s Del Rey UK, Gollancz, Hachette’s SFF imprints including Orbit, and Pan Macmillan’s Tor.
Future Worlds Prize, first run in 2020 and founded by bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch, was previously called the Gollancz and Rivers of London BAME SFF Award. As part of the prize’s long-term aim of opening science fiction and fantasy publishing to more people, it has been rebranded for its second year. The prize is sponsored by Aaronovitch, with additional financial support from Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh. It is administered by Cityread, a registered literature charity.
The 2020 prize was won by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson for The Principle of Moments, a space-based adventure story. Jikiemi-Pearson has since secured a publishing deal with Gollancz, and her debut novel will be released this year.
The eight stories are (in alphabetical order by author surname):
“A Shadow in Chains” by M H Ayinde
“The Sawling” by Jordan Collins
“Frankincense” by Salma Ibrahim
“In the City of Villages” by Franchesca Liauw
“Margot, Who Is Beautiful Now” by Bea Pantoja
“The Warden” by Madeehah Reza
“Contracts Made in Gold” by Aqeelah Seedat
“A Box Full of Stories” by Fatima Taqvi
The shortlist was chosen by the prize’s publishing partners who read anonymized versions of the entries.
Sarah Shaffi, project manager for the prize, said: “Our shortlist consists of eight brilliant new voices in the world of SFF. This is a prize looking for originality, for works that enrich the SFF genre and for potential, and our eight shortlisted writers and their work display all that and more. “It is now over to our judges to decide on one winner. I don’t envy them!”
Ben Aaronovitch, founder of the prize, said: “What has stunned me about the response to the Future World Prize is the number of entrants, their quality and their enthusiasm. Even so I believe that we have only sampled the ocean of talent out there and I hope we can build upon this promising beginning to get even more brilliant writing in front of even more readers.”
Actor Adjoa Andoh, who judged the prize in its first year and is providing financial support in its second year, said: “I came on board to support Future Worlds Prize, the brainchild of novelist Ben Aaronovitch, because I, like Ben, want to see more storytellers of colour exploring the possibilities that the speculative and science fiction form offers to reimagine the world and embrace new readerships. I am delighted therefore in the second year of the award that so many writers of colour have stepped up. Long may we grow and flourish as writers and readers. Keep those stories coming!”
The prize will be judged by:
Actor and author Shobna Gulati
Author Tasha Suri
Writer Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Journalist Zahra Hankir
Cultural commentator Lloyd Bradley
Publisher Valerie Brandes.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour aims to find new talent based in the UK writing in the SFF space, from magical realism and space operas to dystopia and more. The winner will receive a prize of £4,000, the runner-up £2,000 and up to six additional shortlisted authors will each receive £800. All shortlisted writers, the runner-up and the winner will also receive mentoring from one of the prize’s publishing partners.
The prize’s publishing partners are HarperVoyager, the SFF imprint at HarperCollins, Penguin Random House UK’s Del Rey UK, Gollancz, Hachette’s SFF imprints including Orbit, and Pan Macmillan’s Tor.
Future Worlds Prize, first run in 2020 and founded by bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch, was previously called the Gollancz and Rivers of London BAME SFF Award. As part of the prize’s long-term aim of opening science fiction and fantasy publishing to more people, it has been rebranded for its second year. The prize is sponsored by Aaronovitch, with additional financial support from Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh. It is administered by Cityread, a registered literature charity.
The 2020 prize was won by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson for “The Principle of Moments”, a space-based adventure story. Jikiemi-Pearson has since secured a publishing deal with Gollancz, and her debut novel will be released in 2022.
More information about the shortlisted authors and works follows the jump.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour 2021 judging panel members are:
Actor and author Shobna Gulati
Author Tasha Suri
Writer Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Journalist Zahra Hankir
Cultural commentator Lloyd Bradley
Publisher Valerie Brandes.
Sarah Shaffi, project manager for the prize, said: “This year’s judging panel is a dream group of hugely talented individuals who bring with them a wealth of knowledge about storytelling in its many different forms. It’s thrilling to have them all on board.
“I’m also excited that HarperVoyager and Del Rey UK are joining as partners for the prize, cementing how important this prize is to SFF in the UK.”
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour, which closes for submissions at 23:59 p.m. GMT on Friday, June 25, aims to find new talent based in the UK writing in the SFF space. The winner will receive a prize of £4,000, the runner-up £2,000 and up to six additional shortlisted authors will each receive £800. All shortlisted writers, the runner-up and the winner will also receive mentoring from one of the prize’s publishing partners
Shobna Gulati, who has just finished filming the role of Ray in the upcoming feature film Everyone’s Talking About Jamie and is the author of the memoir Remember Me? Discovering My Mother As She Lost Her Memory, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be a judge. I have always found a sense of belonging in fantasy and science fiction. To celebrate writers of colour working within this genre…what’s not to love?”
Tasha Suri, author of The Books of Ambha duology, said: “I’m delighted to be judging Future Worlds Prize. There are so many talented SFF writers in the UK who have been overlooked or haven’t had the opportunities they deserve, and this prize feels like a fantastic step towards changing the face of the SFF genre for the better.”
Nii Ayikwei Parkes, author of six books including two collections of poetry, said: “Having spent most of my writing life advocating for literature that reaches beyond the conventional, it’s a huge honour to be a judge for Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour. I think that SFF as a genre already owes so much to writers of colour globally, but we have not seen output in the UK particularly that reflects that. I am very happy to have a chance to contribute to righting that imbalance through this prize.”
Zahra Hankir, a Lebanese journalist who edited the Our Women on the Ground anthology, said: “I’m so excited to be part of this important judging panel and to help elevate and celebrate the work of writers of colour in this fascinating genre, at a time when the publishing industry is still lagging in diversity, despite some strides forward.”
Lloyd Bradley, one of the UK’s foremost Black music experts and a seasoned cultural commentator, said: “Years ago, I remember an African American comedian riffing on the just-released Logan’s Run film from the angle that there were no black people in it (the character Box was an evil robot), the punchline being ‘they’re fixing for us not to be around in the future’. I’ve long felt it’s been a bit like this with the writing of it too, so a competition for fantasy and sci-fi writers of colour is a doubly exciting prospect and I’m so looking forward to taking a trip to the worlds their imaginations will create. Future Worlds Prize is one of the most thrilling and necessary developments in British publishing and I feel privileged to be part of it.”
Valerie Brandes, founder of Jacaranda Books, said: “I am particularly excited to be part of the judging panel for this award because, besides the importance of fantasy and science fiction writing in continuing to reflect and create past, present and future worlds that de-centre eurocentric narratives, this prize is open to debut writers. Supporting new voices and relocating the canon to include them in all their brilliance is central to the work that I do and therefore I am looking forward to what we will uncover through the submission process.”
HarperVoyager, the SFF imprint at HarperCollins, and Penguin Random House UK’s Del Rey UK are partnering with the prize this year, alongside the already announced Gollancz, Hachette’s SFF imprints including Orbit, and Pan Macmillan’s Tor.
Future Worlds Prize, first run in 2020 and founded by bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch, was previously called the Gollancz and Rivers of London BAME SFF Award. As part of the prize’s long-term aim of opening science fiction and fantasy publishing to more people, it has been rebranded for its second year. The prize is sponsored by Aaronovitch, with additional financial support from Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh. It is administered by Cityread, a registered literature charity.
The 2020 prize was won by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson for The Principle of Moments, a space-based adventure story. Jikiemi-Pearson has since secured a publishing deal with Gollancz, and her debut novel will be released in 2022.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour closes for submissions at 23:59 GMT on Friday, June 25 2021.
The prize, which first ran in 2020 and is founded by bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch, was previously called the Gollancz and Rivers of London BAME SFF Award. As part of the prize’s long-term aim of opening science fiction and fantasy publishing to more people, it has been rebranded for its second year and will be working with publishers from across the industry.
The prize is sponsored by Aaronovitch, with additional financial support from Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh. It is administered by Cityread, a registered literature charity, and project managed by Sarah Shaffi.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour aims to find new talent writing in the SFF space, from magical realism and space operas to dystopia and more. The winner will receive a prize of £4,000, the runner-up £2,000 and up to six additional shortlisted authors will each receive £800. All shortlisted writers, the runner-up and the winner will also receive mentoring from one of the prize’s publishing partners.
Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
The 2020 prize was won by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson for The Principle of Moments, a space-based adventure story. Jikiemi-Pearson has since secured a publishing deal with Gollancz, and her debut novel will be released in 2022.
Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour opens for submissions from unpublished writers of colour based in the UK at 09:00 on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 and closes at 23:59 GMT on Friday, June 25, 2021.
Ben Aaronovitch, founder of the prize and author of the Rivers of London books, said:
It was really great to have been introduced to so many talented people in the initial award; so many brilliant writers of colour, writing such a dazzling variety of incredible stories. My only regret was that we couldn’t have a great big awards ceremony just so I could meet them in person. We’ll have to do something about that.
I’m extremely excited that this year we’re expanding our reach by working with more UK publishers, agents, bookshops, librarians and anyone else we think can help spread the word and share their expertise with these upcoming writers. I’d always hoped that the award would widen its scope but the speed with which this has happened has been gratifying.
Last year’s winner, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, has got a well-deserved publishing deal, and we are determined to build on that to ensure that the breadth of talent revealed amongst the runners up will make their own impact on the publishing world.
There’s still a long way to go before UK publishing is the meritocracy it aspires to be but I’m hoping that Future Worlds Prize can be a small step in the right direction.”
Adjoa Andoh said:
As a black actor and award-winning audiobook narrator of sci fi and speculative fiction, it has been my great joy to see more and more authors of colour follow in the mighty footsteps of Octavia Butler, diving into other worlds to reflect on this world, drawing their readers into adventure, danger and mystery to spectacular effect.
With Future Worlds Prize our hope is to further increase the pool of writers of colour choosing to work in this genre, by encouraging those on the journey to first publication to bring their work to us, to apply for this prize, receive expert support and advice and flourish in their chosen field to the great benefit of all of the readership.
Sarah Shaffi said: “As a lover of science fiction and fantasy books, I’ve always craved more stories told by a richer variety of voices. I’m excited to see the breadth and depth of work we’ll receive, and I encourage authors of colour writing in this area to not be shy, and to get their novels and short stories in to us.”
The prize is continuing its partnership with Gollancz, and is also this year working with all Hachette’s SFF imprints including Orbit, and Pan Macmillan’s Tor for the first time, with more publishing partners to be announced in due course.
Marcus Gipps, publisher at Gollancz said: “As a founding partner in the inaugural prize, Gollancz was thrilled to be part of such an important and vital initiative. We are excited to work with SFF publishers across the market to continue to break down barriers to access and make this the biggest possible prize with the broadest reach. We look forward to many years of collaboration.”
Anna Jackson, publisher at Orbit, said: “We’re proud to be the UK publisher of some of SFF’s most popular and award-winning writers of colour, but we’re very aware that there’s still a significant need for progress to be made in terms of representation within the genre. That’s why we’re delighted to be able to support this fantastic award which aims to discover and champion more underrepresented voices within SFF.”
Bella Pagan from Tor said: “On behalf of Pan Macmillan and Tor, I am absolutely delighted to be involved in this important and relevant award. I hope this will lead to real opportunities for authors from more diverse backgrounds.”
Ben Aaronovitch was a screenwriter for Doctor Who and a bookseller at Waterstones. He now writes full time, and every book in his Rivers of London series has been a Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller. He is published in 14 languages and has sold more than 2 million copies around the world. Aaronovitch is also a trustee on the board of Cityread London and is a long-time supporter of Nigeria’s premiere arts and cultural festival, The Aké Festival. He still lives in London, the city he likes to refer to as ‘the capital of the world’.
About Cityread
Cityread is a registered charity that promotes reading for pleasure and supports public libraries. Previous Cityread initiatives include Cityread London, an annual month-long literature festival delivered in partnership with library services in all 32 London boroughs plus Luton, Reading and. Launched in 2012, it ran for eight years and featured books including Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, and Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik.
