Nathanael Lessore has been announced as the winner of the 2025 Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize for his brilliantly bold and hilarious novel King of Nothing!

Already a LoveReading4Kids Star Book and previous Branford Boase Award winner, Lessore is no stranger to accolades, but this latest win celebrates his unique ability to speak directly to younger readers with humour, honesty, and insight.

King of Nothing is a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt story that takes on big themes with playful flair and real emotional depth. Witty, wise and wonderfully written, the novel turns its sharp gaze on toxic masculinity and challenges traditional “alpha male” tropes with authenticity, compassion, and a whole lot of fun. It’s a triumphant book that’s already been making waves - and now it’s got the Jhalak seal of approval to prove it.

What the Jhalak Award Judges Had to Say

This year’s judges -authors and educators Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Hiba Noor Khan, and Alom Shaha - were united in their praise. Hiba Noor Khan described the book as “immensely readable, heartwarming, and downright hilarious.” Alom Shaha called it “outstanding… laugh-out-loud funny and heartwarming,” while Yassmin Abdel-Magied added, “This is a book that is vital for today… It may indeed change lives.”

The award was announced at a special ceremony at the British Library, where Nathanael received £1,000 and a specially commissioned trophy. The Children’s and YA award was designed by artist Lucy Farfort.

At LoveReading, we’re so proud to see children’s literature - and its creator - being championed with such enthusiasm. King of Nothing isn’t just a book young readers will love; it’s a novel that sparks conversations and opens minds, all while keeping them laughing from beginning to end.

Congratulations, Nathanael Lessore!

What is the Jhalak Prize?

Established in 2016, the Jhalak Prize is unique in its celebration of exceptional work across genre and format, with fiction, non-fiction, short stories, graphic novels, poetry and self-published writers, eligible. The Jhalak Prize awards celebrate the creativity, imagination and literary excellence that people of colour bring to the UK publishing landscape. In 2024, the Jhalak Prize expanded its portfolio to honour poetry with a dedicated award, with the three prizes now named the Jhalak Prose Prize, the Jhalak Poetry Prize and the Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize.

The Jhalak Prize's ongoing partnership with National Book Tokens sees bookshops up and down the country championing the prize, each year reaching new reading communities.

The Jhalak Prize 2025 Shortlist

To see the full shortlist of 6 children's and YA titles for 2025 see our feature -Jhalak Prize 2025 Shortlists Reveal the Power of Literature to Challenge, Inspire and Transform

For queries regarding eligibility, submissions, and other logistics, please contact the Jhalak Prize at info@jhalakprize.com or visit www.jhalakprize.com

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