Zealot Script

Akwaeke Emezi’s fantastic debut novel Freshwater has taken the plaudits, and the top prize at this year’s Nommo Awards being declared the Best Novel. Freshwater centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born “with one foot on the other side.”

The best novella award went to Nerine Dorman for her sparkling work The Firebird.

Hosted by African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) the Nommo awards are given to works that “are speculative fiction, were published in calendar year 2018, and are thought to be by Africans as defined by the ASFS and Nommo Awards Guidelines. ”

You can find out more about the Nommo Awards on the ASFS website.

A full list of winners and nominees can be seen below:

---

Best Novel

Winner: Freshwater – Akwaeke Emezi (Grove)

Nominees:
Children of Blood and Bone – Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt)
Knucklebone -, Nechama Brodie (Pan Macmillan)
A Spy in Time – Imraan Coovadia (Rare Bird)
The Strange – Masha du Toit (self-published)
Empty Monsters – Cat Hellisen (self-published)

---

Best Novella

Winner: The Firebird – Nerine Dorman (self-published)

Nominees:
Neid-Fire – Caldon Mull (self-published)
Binti: The Night Masquerade – Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
“Hard Mary” – Sofia Samatar (Lightspeed 9/18)

---

Best Short Story

Winner: “The Witching Hour” – Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald (Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores 4/18)

Nominees:
“Memento Mori” – Tiah Marie Beautement (Omenana 8/18)
“Njuzu” – T.L. Huchu (AfroSFv3)
“Brand New Ways (to lose you over and over and over again)” – Blaize Kaye (Omenana 8/18)
“Origami Angels” – Derek Lubangakene (Omenana 4/18)
“The Luminal Frontier” – Biram Mboob (AfroSFv3)
“The Girl Who Stared at Mars” – Cristy Zinn (AfroSFv3)

---

Best Comic/Graphic Novel

Winner: Shuri: The Search for Black Panther – Nnedi Okorafor & Leonardo Romero (Marvel)

Nominees:
Akissi: Tales of Mischief -, Marguerite Abouet, Mathieu Sapin, Judith Taboy & Marie Bédrune (Flying Eye)
Karmzah: The Unleashing – Farida Bedwei & Ravi Allotey (Leti Arts)
Eru – Tobe Max Ezeogu & Oz Ezeogu (Comic Republic)
Tàtàshé – Cassandra Mark & Tobe Max Ezeogu (Comic Republic)
Kwezi – Loyiso Mkize, Mohale Mashigo & Clyde Beech (New Africa)
Shaka Rising – Luke W. Molver (StoryPress Africa)
Black Panther: Long Live the King – Nnedi Okorafor, André Araújo, Mario Del Pennino, Tana Ford & Aaron Covington (Marvel)
Malika: Warrior Queen, Part Two – Roye Okupe, Chima Kalu (YouNeek)
Under the Sun – Austine Osas, Abiodun Awodele & Yusuf Temitope (Pedacomics)
Rovik – Yvonne Wanyoike, Kendi Mberia & Salim Busuru (Vibondu)