Shani Akilah

Shani Akilah is a Black British Caribbean writer from South London. She is a book influencer, served as a literary judge for the Nota Bene Prize in 2023, and holds a Masters degree in African Studies from the University of Oxford.

Passionate about bringing people together, Shani co-founded the Nyah Network, a book club for Black women, and The Orange Room Collective which celebrates Black British creatives in London. In recognition of her contributions to literature and community, the Shani Akilah Library opened in October 2024 in Woolwich.

Her debut book, For Such a Time as This, won Best Short-Story Collection at the 2024 Cosmopolitan Book Awards.