The British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) has officially released its 2026 Awards longlist, and one of the most striking features of this year’s longlist is the breadth of African representation across major and highly competitive categories.

Full List of Nominations Featuring African Writers

Best Artwork

1. Stephen Embleton — Cover: The Company of Birds by Nerine Dorman (February 2025 edition)
2. Stephen Embleton — Cover: The Nga’phandileh Whisperer by Eugen Bacon

Best Collection

1. Cheryl S. Ntumy — Black Friday
2. Jesutomisin Ipinmoye — How To Get Rid Of Ants
3. Andre M. Carrington (editor) — The Black Fantastic: 20 Afrofuturist Stories

Best Novel

1. Nnedi Okorafor — Death of the Author
2. M. H. Ayinde — A Song of Legends Lost
3. Nuzo Onoh — Futility
4. Laila Lalami — The Dream Hotel
5. Nkereuwem Albert — The Bone River
6. Adam Oyebanji — Esperance

Best Short Fiction

1. Eugen Bacon — Kinje’kitile and the Jintu
2. Eugen Bacon — The Shadow Eater of Órino-Rin’
3. Eugen Bacon — AI Chronicles: Properties of a Human Curse
4. Tade Thompson — The Flaming Embusen
5. Cheryl S. Ntumy — Listen, Don’t Touch
6. Chisom Umeh — Ancestor’s Gift
7. Rutendo Chidzodzo — Let Sleeping Hyenas Lie

Best Short Non-Fiction

1. Eugen Bacon — Spec Fic and the Politics of Identity: Finding the Self in Other
2. Jacqueline Nyathi — Collective Dreaming: The Schrodinger’s Cat Approach to Framing Futures

Best Shorter Fiction

1. Peter Nena — Babies Don’t Grow in People
2. Eugen Bacon — Novic
3. Tade Thompson — The Apologists
4. Wole Talabi — Descent
5. Somto Ihezue — We Begin Where Infinity Ends
6. Adedapo Adeniyi — Wanderer
7. Eugen Bacon — The Nga’phandileh Whisperer: A Sauútiverse Novella
8. C. L. Hellisen — Shadow Jack

Best Fiction for Young Readers
T. L. Huchu — Secrets of the First School.

Voting is currently ongoing till the 19th of February. Members may vote for up to four nominations in each category to proceed to the shortlists. To vote, visit THE BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION AWARDS official website.