Nigerian-born author wins BAME short story prize

Abiola Oni, 33, a Nigerian-born author and a market researcher from London wins the BAME short story prize.

She won the £1,000 (500 thousand Naira) award for her book, dystopian “75”, a story described by the judges as " unexpected, warm and clinical, all at once"

In a report published in The Guardian UK, the judges – BuzzFeed’s Bim Adewunmi; Waterstones’ head of books, Melissa Cox; writer Bernardine Evaristo; 4th Estate editor Anna Kelly; and Guardian women’s editor Nosheen Iqbal said all the entries submitted were new, fresh and exciting voices.

"The entries were wide-ranging, spanning moments in history, different countries, regions, cultures and perspectives."

"In the end we were won over by dystopian “75” by Abiola Oni. Oni, 33, a market researcher from London who spent part of her childhood in Nigeria, wrote a story that was unexpected, warm and clinical, all at once. She writes with confidence, and keeps a lot of plates spinning: family dynamics, loss, resignation, and a final cruel ending. It stood out as a great example of confident genre writing."

The other stories shortlisted include “Netflix and Chill” by Bolu Babalola, “Birthday Honours” by ND Gomes, “A Little History of Love” by Ishita Marwah.

“Days of Apryl”, by Chloe Ewart and “Black Flag” by Guy Gunaratne.

Interested in reading Abiola Oni's Dystopian 75? Visit Guardian UK

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