Nigerian author, Abi Daré, has recently won the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize for her novel “And So I Roar “, a sequel to her bestselling debut, “The Girl with the Louding Voice”.
The Climate Fiction Prize award is a new literary award, honouring the best UK-published novel-length fiction engaging with the climate crisis.
And So I Roar delves into the lives of rural women and girls in Nigeria, whose lives are negatively impacted by climate action crises. It has such themes as environmental degradation, social injustice, and resilience in the face of overlapping crises.
The novel was selected from an all-female shortlist unveiled in March, following a year-long judging process led by a panel of literary and climate experts. The debut edition of the prize sparked lively debate on the definition of climate fiction and showcased the breadth of stories and genres now emerging under the climate fiction umbrella.
Daré said, “As a Black British-Nigerian woman, receiving this prize is a reminder that we do not need to wait for permission to step into global conversations or to contort our stories to fit a certain lens.”
Chair of Judges, Madeleine Bunting, praised the book as “a story of real energy and passion, which both horrifies and entertains.” She added: “Abi Daré holds faith in the strength of individuals and relationships, and her hopefulness leaves us inspired.”
In her remarks, Daré said: “I’m truly honoured to see ‘And So I Roar’ recognised in this way. Climate fiction is often rooted in the Global North, so having a story set in Africa acknowledged like this means a great deal. Africa accounts for just four per cent of global carbon emissions yet faces some of the harshest effects of the climate crisis. A prize like these matters because it creates space for stories that show how deeply connected, we all are and how fiction can open hearts where data alone might struggle.”
Lucy Stone, Executive Director of Climate Spring, which co-founded the prize, called climate fiction “one of the most vibrant and necessary spaces in contemporary storytelling.” She described Daré’s work as “a powerful illumination of environmental and social injustice – and a courageous invitation to imagine a better future.”
Abi Daré was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and holds degrees in law, international project management, and creative writing. Her debut novel, “The Girl with the Louding Voice”, was a New York Times bestseller and shortlisted for several international awards. In 2023, she launched The Louding Voice Foundation, providing scholarships and empowerment programmes for women and girls in underserved Nigerian communities. She lives in Essex.
The Climate Fiction Prize challenges traditional notions of what constitutes climate fiction. While dystopian futures and climate science narratives have long dominated the genre, this year’s shortlisted titles reflected a growing diversity in voice, style and setting from time travelling thrillers and philosophical meditations to folklore-infused family dramas.
The judging panel praised “And So I Roar” as a novel that “exemplifies this evolution spectacularly.”
