The African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) has unveiled the shortlist for the 2026 Nommo Awards, bringing together 20 works by 24 authors and creators across novels, novellas, short stories and graphic novels. The shortlist was announced at LACON V, the 84th World Science Fiction Convention, with Nnedi Okorafor receiving two nominations for Death of the Author and One Way Witch. Other shortlisted works include The Bone River by Nkereuwem Albert, Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson, A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde, Black Navel by Paul Olisaeloka Anozie, and Secrets of the First School by T.L. Huchu.

The shortlist also features Moses Ose Utomi’s The Memory of the Ogisi and Tobi Ogundiran’s At the Fount of Creation in the Novella category, alongside six short stories and five graphic novels. The selections highlight the range of contemporary African speculative fiction, extending beyond traditional prose into visual and collaborative storytelling. T.L. Huchu appears twice on the shortlist, also earning recognition in the Short Story category for “The Cancellation of Michael Z.”

Voting by ASFS members opens today, 31 August 2026, and will close on 1 November 2026, with winners to be announced later this year. The 2026 shortlist continues the Nommo Awards’ recognition of African writers and creators working across science fiction, fantasy, horror and related speculative genres, while reflecting the growing variety of forms through which African stories are imagining different worlds and futures.

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