Abaka Debrah wins #Merky Books’ New Writers’ Prize for his ‘super sharp, powerful’ debut novel

Spoken word artist and writer Abaka Debrah has been announced as the winner of #Merky Books’ New Writers’ Prize for his “super sharp, powerful” debut novel, Where Geezers Call Home.

The winner was selected by a judging panel comprising British musician and #Merky Books founder Stormzy, theatre critic Arifa Akbar, authors Nicola Dinan and Yomi Sode, and bookseller Zakiya Sultana. The announcement was made at a ceremony held at Waterstones Gower Street in London on 22nd March.

“Where Geezers Call Home is super sharp, powerful and for me it was genuinely impossible to put down,” Stormzy said. “Abaka’s more than just a writer – he’s an incredible storyteller through and through and what an honour it is for us to have the opportunity to publish his work.”

The winning submission is set in a world where race riots have resulted in a “divided and lawless” society. The synopsis says: “The United Nations steps in to bail out the UK and the protagonist, Xavier, is relocated to Essex where strict ‘Unity Laws’ are in place and rebellion is on the rise. Xavier must navigate life as one of the few Black members at his workplace, community, and even in his cul-de-sac. Amid growing anti-UN sentiment, the cracks in racial harmony can no longer be ignored. Who can Xavier trust, and where will he turn?”

Now in its fifth year, the prize aims to discover unpublished, under-represented writers from the UK and Ireland, who are between the ages of 18 to 35. The winner is awarded a publishing contract with the imprint.

“This is for all young Black boys who grew up wanting to be writers instead of footballers,” Debrah said. “I am excited for the opportunity to develop this quirky story, to grow as a writer and share what’s been rattling about in my head.”

The shortlisted writers were all invited to attend a writers’ camp in November 2024. On organising the prize, editorial director Joelle Owusu-Sekyere said: “Planning and delivering the prize every year is no mean feat and this year saw yet another exceptionally high calibre of submissions. It’s deeply humbling to see so many budding novelists sharing their stories with us through the prize and we hope this inspires and encourages them all to keep going with their writing and dreams of being published.”

Previous winners include Hafsa Zayyan, Monika Radojevic, Jyoti Patel, William Rayfet Hunter and Sufiyaan Salam.