ABIOLA BELLO

Abiola Bello is a Nigerian-British, prize-winning, bestselling children’s and YA author who was born and raised in London. She is an advocate for diversity in books for young people. She’s the author of the award-winning fantasy seriesEmily Knight and was nominated for the CILIP’s Carnegie Award, won London’s BIG Read 2019, and was a finalist for the People’s Book Prize Best Children’s Book. Abiola contributed to The Very Merry Murder Club, a collection of mysteries from thirteen exciting and diverse children’s writers and was selected as Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month. Her debut YA, Love in Winter Wonderland was an Amazon’s Editor’s Choice and was featured in The Guardian’s Children’s and Teens Best New Novels. Only for the Holidays was The Bookseller One To Watch, one of Waterstones Best Paperbacks of 2023 and was featured in The Guardian’s Children’s and Teens Best New Novels. The Love Dare is shortlisted for Peters Children's Book of the Year 2025.

Abiola won The Black British Business Awards 2023 for Arts and Media and The London Book Fair Trailblazer Awards 2018. She is the co-founder of Hashtag Press, Hashtag BLAK and The Diverse Book Awards. She has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Female First Magazine, The Mirror, BBC1XTRA to name a few. As well as being a writer, Abiola is a professional dancer. She performed for more than a decade in prestigious venues including The Royal Opera House, The Barbican, Sadler's Wells, Hammersmith Apollo and Unicorn Theatre. Abiola has also appeared on BBC's The Apprentice, Got To Dance and Street Dance AllStars The Movie.