Our judges were in awe of Atinuke’s Brilliant Black British History, describing it as an "important" account of Black people throughout our nation’s history. "I would want every person to read this," said one judge. With "striking" artwork by debut illustrator Kingsley Nebechi, Brilliant Black British History should become a touchstone for children and adults alike to address "missing parts of history". Atinuke and Nebechi’s pioneering book covers the longest period of any children’s book on Black British history.
Bloomsbury Children’s took the ethos of the book to heart and led with education and positivity in its campaign. An "authentic" strategy went above and beyond, and our judges were particularly impressed by the survey commissioned by the publisher on the need for comprehensive Black history education. It was "a stroke of genius", they agreed.