Nigerian-British author Chidi Ebere has won the 2024 Royal Society of Literature Christopher Bland Prize for his novel Now I Am Here.

The RSL Christopher Bland Prize is awarded annually to the best debut book by an author over the age of 50. The Prize was launched in 2018 and first awarded in 2019, thanks to the generosity of the family and friends of Lady Jennie Bland, in memory of Sir Christopher Bland who died in 2017. The prize comes with an award of £10,000.

The Royal Society of Literature was founded in 1820 as a voice for the value of literature, honouring and supporting emerging and established writers whilst creating a bridge between authors and audiences to engage as many people as possible with the breadth of UK literature. In addition to the Christopher Bland Prize, the RSL awards 8 other annual awards prizes to writers.

Published by Picador, Ebere’s novel Now I Am Here explores what pushes good people to do terrible things. The novel is in the form of a soldier’s extended confession. Cornered by his enemies, the unnamed narrator recounts how he was transformed from a gentle man into a war criminal due to the circumstances of nationalism and the violence of war.

In his acceptance speech, Ebere said

“…with cheeks aching from the longest grin in modern human history, a voice speaks from deep within, ‘It’s all right to never give up; it’s fine to follow one’s own path; when it comes to writing, you’re never too old to put pen to paper.’ I can agree with that.’”

The chair of judges for the RSL Christopher Bland Prize, Shaparak Khorsandi, said of Ebere’s novel

“The lightness of touch when telling such powerful, impactful stories is what made this our favourite. There were many really strong contenders for this award, and I am so happy we chose Chidi as our winner.'”

Congratulations to Chidi Ebere on this remarkable achievement!

You can order a copy of Now I Am Here here.