It is our pleasure to finally share that two of our authors have been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2025!
Multi-award-winning author Danielle Jawando, who previously won the award in 2023 with When Our Worlds Collided is back as a shortlistee for her latest book, If My Words Had Wings. Since its publication in May 2024 with Simon & Schuster, the novel has received several award nominations, including being longlisted for the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Writing. The life affirming story follows Tyrell who tries to turn his life around after ending up in a young offenders’ prison, tackling systemic discrimination and finding his voice through spoken-word poetry.
Joining Danielle on the shortlist is New York Times and international bestselling author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé with Four Eids and a Funeral, co-written with fellow YA Book Prize 2022 winner Adiba Jaigirdar. The Usborne published novel from Jun 2024 is about former best friends and now sworn enemies Said and Tiwa who are brought back together by a funeral and a fire at their home town’s Islamic Centre. Faridah’s debut thriller Ace of Spades was also shortlisted back in 2022.
Now in its 11th year, the YA Book Prize is run by The Bookseller in partnership with Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) to celebrate the best YA fiction titles from the UK and Ireland. Last years prize winner went to Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by another one of our fantastic YA authors, Lex Croucher.
Congratulations Danielle and Faridah! We are so thrilled and proud of you both!
The winner of the YA Book Prize 2025 will be announced at the festival after the ceremony’s author panels on 21st August. See the full shortlist here.
