The winner of the Aldiss Award will be announced on November 2, 2025, during the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton, UK.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
Nigerian writers: Rogba Payne and Wole Talabi have been announced as finalists for the inaugural Aldiss Award for world-building in speculative fiction. Named after the late Brian Aldiss, the award celebrates achievements in creating immersive and imaginative worlds across literature, fantasy, and gaming.
Payne’s The Dance of Shadows and Talabi’s Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon are among the six works shortlisted, standing out as the two African entries. The winner will be announced on November 2, 2025, during the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton, UK.
Talabi is widely recognized for fusing Yoruba cosmology with speculative tropes. His novel Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon reimagines deities in a modern, transnational setting, earning acclaim from critics and readers alike. Payne’s The Dance of Shadows has been praised for its intricate myth-making and narrative scope, cementing him as one of the most exciting new voices in African fantasy.
The Aldiss Award is a not-for-profit initiative backed by the British Science Fiction Association, the British Fantasy Society, and the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment. By spotlighting world-building, the award resonates strongly with African speculative fiction, which often draws from rich reservoirs of cosmology, oral tradition, and historical imagination.