34 African texts written by African authors have been longlisted for the 2023 British Science Fiction Awards. This is a superb achievement as Africans appear to be dominating the science fiction genre by a huge margin, well done!
The BSFA Awards have been presented annually since 1970. The awards are voted on by members of the British Science Fiction Association and by the members of the year’s Eastercon, the national science fiction convention, held since 1955. This year’s Eastercon, Levitation, will be at the Telford Internationa Centre , 29th March to 1st April 2024, where the winners will be announced.
The longlist for this year includes works published in 2023. BSFA members may vote for up to four nominations in each category to proceed to the shortlists. The voting form is available here, and will close on February 20.
The only categories where African authors did not get longlisted were “Best Audio Fiction” and “Best Fiction for Younger Readers”. Maybe it is time to branch out into those fields. Check out the African texts on the longlist below. Many of these were on our 100 Notable African Books of 2023 list.
Best Artwork
Cover and interior art of Mothersound: The Sauutiverse Anthology – Stephen Embleton and Akintoba Kalejaye
Best Collection
Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022 – Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Eugen Bacon, Milton Davis
Between Dystopias: The Road to Afropantheology – Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Joshua Uchenna Omenga
Caged Ocean Dub – Dare Segun Falowo
Drinking From Graveyard Wells – Yvette Ndlovu
Jackal, Jackal – Tobi Ogundiran
Languages of Water – Editor, Eugen Bacon
Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology – Edited by Wole Talabi
Where Rivers Go To Die – Dilman Dila
Best Non-Fiction (Long)
Ex Marginalia: Essays on Writing Speculative Fiction by Persons of Color – Chinelo Onwualu
Best Novel
Bridge – Lauren Beukes
More Perfect – Temi Oh
Shigidi And The Brass Head Of Obalufon – Wole Talabi
Warrior of the Wind – Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Best Short Fiction
“Blowout” – Wole Talabi Analog (Science Fiction and Fact)
“Lady Koi Koi: A Book Report” – Suyi Davies Okungbowa (Apex Magazine)
“Paperweight” – Eugen Bacon & Clare Rhoden (This Fresh Hell)
“Saturdays Song” – Wole Talabi Lightspeed)(
“Sina the Child with No Echo” – Eugen Bacon (Mothersound)
“Soyinka’s Memory” – Stephen Embleton (The Shallow Tales Review)
“Taking Turns” – Stephen Embleton (Languages of Water)
“The Madding” – Nuzo Onoh (Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction)
“The Pet of Olodumare” – Joshua Uchenna Omenga & Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Fantasy and Science Fiction)
“The Rafting of Jorge Santa Cruz” – Adelehin Ijasan (IZ Digital)
“The Strangefolk – Nana Afadua Ofori-Atta (Omenana)
“The Way of Baa’gh” – Cheryl S Ntumy (Mothersound)
“This is How We Save Them” – Deji Bryce Olukotun (Life Beyond Us)
Best Short Non-Fiction
“Dominant Themes in Afro-Centric Fiction” – Eugen Bacon (Aurealis)
“Exposition Tax: The hidden burden of writing from the margins” – Suyi Davies Okungbowa (Hydra House)
“Introduction to Afropantheology” – Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki & Joshua Uchenna Omenga (Public Books)
“Prisoners In The Temple Of The Muses” – Wole Talabi (Anciillary Review of Books)
Best Shorter Fiction
“Broken Paradise” – Eugen Bacon (Luna Press)
“Land of The Awaiting Birth” – Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki & Joshua Uchenna Omenga
“Undulation” – Stephen Embleton (Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology)
Congrats to the longlisted authors and good luck! The shortlist will be announced soon after the Feb 20th voting deadline.
