The African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Nommo Awards, the premier pan-African prize honoring excellence in speculative fiction. The announcement was made live at LACON V, the 84th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), before a worldwide audience, with further details on the winners expected to roll out in the coming days.

Nnedi Okorafor leads this year’s field with two nominations across separate categories — Death of the Author in the Ilube Award for Best Novel category, and One Way Witch in the Novella category — continuing a run of recognition that has made her one of the most decorated names in African speculative fiction. She’s joined in the Best Novel category by Nkereuwem Albert’s The Bone River, Marvellous Michael Anson’s Firstborn of the Sun, M.H. Ayinde’s A Song of Legends Lost, Paul Olisaeloka Anozie’s Black Navel, and T.L. Huchu’s Secrets of the First School. Huchu also picks up a second nomination in the Short Story category for “The Cancellation of Michael Z.”

The Novella category rounds out with Moses Ose Utomi’s The Memory of the Ogisi and Tobi Ogundiran’s At the Fount of Creation alongside Okorafor’s entry. In Short Story, Adelehin Ijasan’s “A Heap of Petrified Gods,” Kevin Rigathi’s “If Memory Serves,” Plangdi Neple’s “Full, Empty Houses,” Moustapha Mbacké Diop’s “Apostasy in Fruit,” and Somto Ihezue’s “We Begin Where Infinity Ends” complete the lineup.

The Graphic Novels category brings a strong showing of collaborative and solo work: John Uche and Francis Goodluck’s Celestial Eyes Vol. 2: The Second Cycle, Owoade Ifeoluwa’s Hounds and Jackals, Gerald Vreden and Hakeem Rafai’s Rise of The Mafu #1: The Awakening, Juni Ba’s The Fables of Erlking Wood, and a one-shot anthology, Worlds, credited to John Uche alongside Stone Otor, Francis Goodluck, Lord Blue, Jeremiah Abah, and Gabriel Onche.

See the full shortlist below:

Ilube Award for Best Novel

  • Nkereuwem Albert, The Bone River
  • Marvellous Michael Anson, Firstborn of the Sun
  • M.H. Ayinde, A Song of Legends Lost
  • Nnedi Okorafor, Death of the Author
  • Paul Olisaeloka Anozie, Black Navel
  • T.L. Huchu, Secrets of the First School

Novella

  • Moses Ose Utomi, The Memory of the Ogisi
  • Nnedi Okorafor, One Way Witch
  • Tobi Ogundiran, At the Fount of Creation

Short Story

  • Adelehin Ijasan, “A Heap of Petrified Gods”
  • Kevin Rigathi, “If Memory Serves”
  • Plangdi Neple, “Full, Empty Houses”
  • Moustapha Mbacké Diop, “Apostasy in Fruit”
  • Somto Ihezue, “We Begin Where Infinity Ends”
  • T.L. Huchu, “The Cancellation of Michael Z”

Graphic Novels

  • John Uche and Francis Goodluck, Celestial Eyes Vol. 2: The Second Cycle
  • Owoade Ifeoluwa, Hounds and Jackals
  • Gerald Vreden and Hakeem Rafai, Rise of The Mafu #1: The Awakening
  • Juni Ba, The Fables of Erlking Wood
  • John Uche, Stone Otor, Francis Goodluck, Lord Blue, Jeremiah Abah, and Gabriel Onche, Worlds: A One-shot Anthology

The Nommo Awards remain the continent’s most prominent recognition of speculative fiction, and this year’s shortlist continues to showcase the genre’s expanding range across novels, novellas, short fiction, and graphic storytelling. Winners will be announced in the coming days; further updates are available via the African Speculative Fiction Society.