The 2025 NYC Big Book Award has recognized When It All Falls Down by Chinedu Achebe as the category winner of African American Fiction. The competition is judged by experts from different aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, designers, booksellers, librarians and professional copywriters. Winners and distinguished favorites are based on overall excellence.
About the book
In the stirring sequel to The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi, Obi and Nkechi Ifeanyi, along with their children, Ikechukwu and Chimamanda, navigate the turbulent waters of modern America in the backdrop of Houston, Texas. Amidst the global upheaval of the pandemic, the Ifeanyis strive to rekindle their marriage, seeking solace in each other as the world outside contends with racial strife and political storms.
As the contentious 2020 US presidential election unfolds, their story is a testament to the enduring power of family, the complexities of identity, and the relentless pursuit of happiness against all odds. This is a story of love, resilience, and the unyielding bonds that hold us together when the world seems to be falling apart.
To view the list of NYC Big Book winners, please visit: www.nycbigbookaward.com
NYC Big Book Award received book submissions worldwide. Journalists, well established authors, small and large press, and first time indie authors participated in record numbers. Entries this year were received from the United States as well as countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Dubai, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Cities represented among the entries were Chicago, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Quebec, Rome, San Francisco, Seattle, Singapore, and Victoria.
Publishers included Berrett-Koehler; Brown Books Kids; Central Avenue / Simon & Schuster; Forbes Books; Muse Literary; New Harbinger Publications; New York University Press; Oxford University Press; Pegasus Books; She Writes Press; University of Massachusetts Press to name a few.
Winners included “What is My Legacy?” by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger; “Mikhail Gorbachev – How he changed our lives” by Bettina Schaefer; Berrett-Koehler’s “From Founder to Future: A Business Roadmap to Impact, Longevity, and Employee Ownership” by John Abrams; The Cooking Lab’s “Modernist Bread at Home” by Nathan Myhrvold; and “Wild Fox Ridge” by Xue Mo to name some key titles on the awarded list.
“With so many quality publishers and authors from around the world participating this year, I’m eager to share these books with a global readership,” said awards sponsor Gabby Olczak.
About the author
An award-winning author, Chinedu Achebe is Nigerian American who was born in Richmond, Virginia. Chinedu graduated from the University of Houston with his Bachelor’s degree in Economics. He published his first book, Blunted on Reality in 2012. In 2017, Chinedu published his second book, The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi.
He was awarded the 2023 Independent Press Award in the category of African American fiction for that book. Chinedu also has written articles for The Huffington Post, Medium, and Bella Naija. He currently lives in Houston, Texas with his wife and kids.
Be sure to follow him on social media at Twitter/X and Instagram
When It All Falls Down is available on Amazon
NYC Big Book Award is announced every fall. NYC Big Book Award is open to all authors, publishers, and illustrators, and includes submissions from the big five publishers: Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster.
Join us for the Independent Press Award, deadlines every December and announced every spring, is open to independent authors and publishers. Visit: www.independentpressaward.com/2025winners
Join us at the Awards Dinner on April 25th to celebrate the recipients of both programs as they receive their awards on stage. The dinner is part of the BookCAMP event, a publishing industry conference held in the New York metro area, April 24-25, 2026, www.independentpressaward.com/ipabookcamp
For press inquiries, contact wcachebe@hotmail.com
SOURCE: blacknews.com