2025 Nommo Awards Finalists

The Smoke That Thunders by Erhu Kome
Norton Young Readers, 2024

Erhu Kome is an Urhobo author whose works blend romance and speculative elements, including The Smoke That Thunders, Barter, and Love, Chaos, and My Cupid, honoured with awards such as the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. She is the first Nigerian female author of bizarro fiction, runs a mentorship program for unpublished female Nigerian writers, and founded the Storytellers Writing Retreat.

Dakini Atoll by Nikhil Singh
Luna Press Publishing, 2024

Nikhil Singh is a South African artist, writer and musician whose debut novel Taty Went West (2015) was shortlisted for Best African Novel in the inaugural Nommo Awards. His second novel Club Ded (2020) and its sequel Dakini Atoll (2024) were both shortlisted for the Nommo Awards, with Club Ded also shortlisted for the BSFA Awards. Singh completed the James Currey workshop at Oxford University in 2022 and has appeared at literary festivals including Africa Writes, Worldcon and Cymera.

The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus by Umar Abubakar Sidi
Masobe, 2024

Umar Abubakar Sidi is a poet and a novelist, he is the author of the poetry collections The Poet of Dust and Like Butterflies Scattered About by Art Rascals. The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus is his first novel. He lives in Lagos, Nigeria. 

Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase
Kensington, 2024

Tlotlo Tsamaase is a Motswana author of Womb City, The Silence of Wilting Skin, and two forthcoming books in 2026: House of Margins and The Bloodwinds. Tlotlo received support from the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, and her story “Behind Our Irises” jointly won the Nommo Award. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple best-of anthologies, Africa Risen, New Suns 2, Chiral Mad 5, and other venues. 

The Year of Return by Ivana Akotowaa Ofori
Android Press, 2024

Ivana Akotowaa Ofori is a Ghanaian storyteller. She is a weaver of words in many forms, including fiction, non-fiction and spoken-word poetry. An alumna of the Clarion West writing workshop, Akotowaa has been shortlisted for various awards, including the Miles Morland Writing Fellowship. Her work has appeared in anthologies such as Tor.com’s Africa Risen, Clinamen Editions’ Daring Shifts, and Flame Tree Publishing’s African Ghost Short Stories and Anansi. Her debut novella, The Year of Return, was published in 2024 by Android Press (USA) and Smartline Publishers (Ghana). She was the curator of the 2025 African Book Festival in Berlin.

In the Shadow of the Fall by Tobi Ogundiran
Titan Books, 2024

Tobi Ogundiran is the award-winning author of the Guardian of the Gods duology (In the Shadow of the Fall, At the Fount of Creation) and the critically acclaimed and British Fantasy Award winning short fiction collection, Jackal, Jackal. He has been a finalist for the Locus, World Fantasy, British Science Fiction Association, Shirley Jackson, and Nommo awards. His short fiction has been featured in original anthologies such as Africa Risen, The Book of Witches, Lore & Disorder; in several educational and Year’s Best anthologies; and twice on the hit podcast LeVar Burton Reads. Born and raised in Nigeria, he now works as an Assistant Professor of Professional Writing at the University of Oklahoma.

Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Tor Publishing Group, 2024

Suyi Davies Okungbowa is an award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction. His latest books include Lost Ark Dreaming (2024 Nebula Award finalist), Warrior of the Wind and Son of the Storm (the Nameless Republic epic fantasy trilogy) and The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda (a Black Panther novel). He lives in Ontario, where he is a professor of creative writing at the University of Ottawa. 

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar
Tordotcom, 2024

Sofia Samatar is a writer of fiction and nonfiction, including the epic fantasy novel A Stranger in Olondria, which won the William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the World Fantasy Award, and was included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. Sofia also received the 2014 Astounding Award for Best New Writer. Her most recent work of speculative fiction is the novella The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, winner of a Silver Nautilus Award and a finalist for the Philip K. Dick, Locus, Hugo, and Nebula Awards. 

Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods by Dotun Akande and Murewa Ayodele
Oni Press, 2025

Recipient of the (Lagos Comic Con 2023) Fist Award for Writer of the Decade, Murewa Ayodele is the writer of the Nommo-nominated comic book series New Men, Glyph-nominated Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods, the critically acclaimed webcomic series My Grandfather Was a God, and several Marvel comics like Storm, I Am Iron Man, Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood, and Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic. He is also the co-founder of Collectible Comics NG, a Nigerian comic book studio founded with artist Dotun Akande that was nominated in the Comic Studio of the Year category at the 2018 Fist Awards.

Dotun Akande is an award-winning comic book artist and storyteller, honoured with the FIST Award for Best Cover Artist at Lagos Comic Con 2018. His credits include Marvel titles like I Am Iron Man, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Vengeance of the Moon Knight, and more. He co-founded Collectible Comics NG with writer Murewa Ayodele, FIST Award Writer of the Decade (2023). Together, they co-created the Nommo-nominated New Men, Glyph-nominated Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods, and the webcomic My Grandfather Was a God. With nearly a decade of experience, Dotun has brought over 10 comic titles to life.

Celestial Eyes by John Uche and Francis
The Machine Publishing, 2024

John Uche is an eccentric writer, poet, and lover of good stories. Professionally, he’s chosen to vary his writing in forms such as ghost-writing for books, scripting for comics and animation, and scripting for visual educational content. He has played the role of editor in a couple of projects. When he is not reading anything he can lay his hands on, John Uche is making himself something to eat. He’ll tell you that he’s not a foodie, just a man who loves to eat. 

Francis Goodluck studies art as much as he creates art. From animating to making comics, he’s juggled both fields effortlessly and professionally. He loves high fantasy and sci-fi fiction; throw in perfectly designed monsters, and he’s sold completely. You’ll casually find him gaming or improving his skills by making random sketches, some of which are Not Safe For Work.