The longlists for the Diverse Book Awards, whittled down from 110 submissions across three categories, have been revealed.

Created by author Abiola Bello and publicist Helen Lewis, the annual prize recognises diverse and inclusive books by authors based in the UK and Ireland across children’s, YA and adult books.

The shortlists will be revealed on 20th September and the winners in each category announced on 20th October.

Bello said: "I was overwhelmed by the entries for this year’s awards. We had entries from the Big Five, indies and self-published authors and the standard was so high. I love learning about new books from authors I haven’t heard about but I also like seeing the new books from authors who have been listed before because it shows that these authors are continuously bringing the diverse content that I crave. The Diverse Book Awards continues to bring to light the best diverse books. I know the judges had a very hard time judging and I am very proud of the longlist. I hope everyone champions these amazing authors."

The winner from each category will receive a bundle of prizes including a glass trophy, VIP admission to 12 months of author marketing and branding online workshops hosted by Literally PR, editorial content in Pen&Inc and the opportunity to be part of the winners panel hosted by the Author School. That Playlist Book Box will also create a limited-edition winners’ book box.

Lewis said there had been a 40% increase in the number of books submitted this year. “This is wonderful news, not just for the prize itself, as it is gaining further recognition and acceptance within the publishing industry, but it also demonstrates that more and more books are being released by publishers. The Diverse Book Awards was one of the first prizes to be open to self-published as well as traditionally published authors. For readers, it is about the story itself, not the route to publication, that matters.”

The book longlisted under the categories for Children and Young Adults are listed below.

Read more, including the adult longlist, in our news blog over on LoveReading