Somali-British author Nadifa Mohamed has been nominated for a 2024 Edinburgh TV Festival Award for Best Factual Presenter for her documentary Britain’s Human Zoos.

The Edinburgh TV Festival is an annual event for people who work in all corners of the television industry. The Jury President for this year’s Edinburgh TV Awards is British rapper and television presenter Big Zuu. The TV Award winners will be announced at the Festival on August 22nd.

Mohamed reads archival materials in Britain’s Human Zoos. Photo courtesy of Channel 4.

The documentary unveils the forgotten history of 19th and 20th century “human zoos,” where Black and Brown people were put on display for British audiences’ entertainment. Britain’s Human Zoos works to restore humanity and agency to the people who were displayed as objects—some of whom, Mohamed reveals in the documentary, are still on display in museums today even after their deaths. The documentary aired on Channel 4 in the UK.

Mohamed is best known as a novelist. Her most recent novel The Fortune Men is based on the true story of Mahmoud Mattan, a young Somali man who was wrongfully executed in Wales in the 1950s. It was shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize. We are excited to see Mohamed recognized for bringing her research and storytelling skills to a new medium in her documentary.

Congratulations to Mohamed on her nomination!