Abiola Bello

Abiola Bello

Middle-grade/ YA author

Also writes as

A. Bello
www.a-bello.com
Booking enquiry
Abiola Bello - author tools

Available for

Workshop, Talk, Reading, Interview, Commission a book

Audiences

Age 7 to 11, Age 11 to 14, Age 14 to 16, Age 16 to 18+, University

Genres

Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Magical realism, Mystery, Romance, Short story

Book types

Alphabet, Anthologies, Fiction 8-13, Fiction for young-adults, Young Adult

Awards

Organisations

Details

Hey! My name is Abiola Bello or sometimes known as 'A. Bello' for some of my books. I'm a middle-grade and YA author. I'm Nigerian and was born and raised in London, Stoke Newington (Hackney), North London to be exact. I wrote my first novel at aged 8, where I fought monsters and dragons daily and was first published at aged 12 for a poem I wrote in school called 'Fireworks.'

​I wrote the first in the Emily Knight saga at aged 12, with the intention of filling in a gaping hole in children's fiction for an inspirational, strong, black female protagonist (who can fight like a man!). ​ I grew up on DragonBall Z, X-Men comics and the Attitude Era of WWE (back then it was WWF) and wanted to read books like that but couldn't find one, so I wrote one. I'm really passionate about writing books that are diverse and inclusive of all people. I believe everyone should be able to see themselves in books. 

​My English teacher told me I should be an author back when I was secondary school after she read a short story I wrote. I remember asking, 'Is this a real job?'

​My book journey has been a rollercoaster. I was studying Creative Writing at uni and realised they were not giving me all of the tools to really make it in this industry. l left my third year to figure out this publishing world for myself and I can honestly say 90% off publishing I learnt myself.

​It didn't stop me though. I pushed that book so hard, started up a diverse publishing house and am represented by the amazing Gemma Cooper at The Bent Agency

​My Emily Knight series was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019, finalist for The People's Book Prize 2019 and won London's Big Read 2019. It has been featured in Cosmopolitan and Shout Magazine.

​The Very Merry Murder Club, published by Farshore is a number 1 bestseller and a Waterstone's Children's Book of the Month.

​Then on September 28th 2021, Simon & Schuster fell in love with my rom-come Love In Winter Wonderland! I got a 6 figure deal for 3 books. What a dream! The years of hard work had paid off. My debut YA book Love In Winter Wonderland was featured on an Amazon billboard in Leicester Square as part of their Black History Month Campaign, featured in the Guardian Children’s and Teens Best New Novel and an Amazon Number 1 bestseller. 

​I'm the co-founder of INK!, Hashtag Press, Hashtag BLAK  and The Diverse Book Awards.

On 26th March 2018, I was announced as the winner of the Trailblazer Award 2018 which is ran by The London Book Fair. I'm the first black person to win! I also was one of the Society of Young Publishers mentors for three years. ​I'm on the advisory group for World Book Day UK and am now chairing lots of great book events for The London Book Fair, Waterstones and the National Literary Trust to name a few.  

​If you want to book me for an event do get in touch! I live in London and willing to travel. For schools I offer a range of things from readings to creative sessions. 

'Abiola had 200 children absorbed in her warrior world and author journey. They loved her and Emily Knight'

Kate Manning, Children's Director of The Stoke Newington Literary Festival

Event feedback

Outstanding visit. A perfect match for our diverse school. An inspiring talk and reading and lively, engaging workshops. The whole school is still buzzing about the visit. A huge thank you to Abiola, she has inspired the next generation of young authors.

Rhian Huxtable (Braintcroft E-ACT Primary Academy)

Event took place on 26 April. The talk was well planned and engaged the students. I will definitely recommend Abiola to my local network of school librarians.

Fiona Kirk (The Petchey Academy)

Absolutely brilliant visit that both students and staff appreciated Abiola is warm and friendly and her talk to year 10 was interesting and engaging. Her workshops were fun and the students really enjoyed them. We would love for her to come back in the future!

Emma Cannon (Bishop Ramsey Church Of England School)

Books by Abiola Bello

Hi! My name is Abiola and I am an award-winning, bestselling author. I have written four middle-grade books - The Emily Knight I am series and The Very Merry Murder Club. I signed a 6 figure deal with Simon & Schuster in September 2021 and my first YA rom-com Love In Winter Wonderland is out now. My second YA - Only For The Holidays is out October 2023.I'm a Waterstones Children's Book of the Month and my book was featured on an Amazon billboard in Leicester Square. during Amazon's Black History Month Campaign. Fun fact! I was a professional street dancer and have been in a movie and TV.
978-0995780606
Emily Knight I am

Emily Knight I am

How does it feel to be different and misunderstood? And who cares? Emily Knight is young and famous, self-aware and intelligent. But what if the one thing that makes Emily different also makes her a target for evil? Can she defend herself...and everything she loves? A.Bello breaks boundaries with this gritty and gripping fantasy novel. 
978-0995780644
Emily Knight I am...Awakened

Emily Knight I am...Awakened

Dark times are upon us. Neci is back and she is more dangerous than ever. The warriors are forced to pick a side and to stand up for what they believe in. The race is on to find the missing warrior first. It's the only way to prevent a war from happening and to stop Neci from destroying everything. Emily Knight has to get sharper, stronger and faster because Neci has made her a target and someone is going to great lengths to hurt her. Can Emily win the race? Or will Neci take her down once and for all? 
978-1-9161617-8-8
Emily Knight I am...Becoming

Emily Knight I am...Becoming

The Knights are finally reunited and ready to defeat Neci once and for all. But Neci is one step ahead and is targeting them one by one. When one of Emily's best friends is kidnapped, Emily leads the elite team on a rescue mission but nothing can prepare them for what Neci has planned... 
9781398516878
Love In Winter Wonderland

Love In Winter Wonderland

Trey Anderson is popular and handsome, and he works at his family’s beloved Black-owned bookshop, Wonderland. Ariel Spencer is quirky, creative, and in need of a holiday temp job to cover her tuition for The Artists’ Studio. An opening at Wonderland is the answer . . . and the start of a hate-to-love journey for Trey and Ariel. When Trey and Ariel learn that Wonderland is on the brink of shutting down, can they get over their differences and team up to stop the doors from closing before the Christmas Eve deadline? 
9781398516908
Only For The Holidays

Only For The Holidays

City girl Tia Solanké is dreading the festive period. She’s on a break with her boyfriend and the last thing she wants to do is spend Christmas away from London. Arriving at Saiyan Hedge Farm, Tia takes an instant disliking to it. She falls in horse manure, is chased by sheep and the Wi-Fi sucks. How is she meant to stalk her ex now and concoct a foolproof plan to win him back? Country boy Quincy Parker and his family run the farm, and this year they’ve been selected to host the biggest event in the town's calendar – the Winter Ball. Preparations are underway, and Quincy is working around the clock to make it a success. The only problem is, he’s told everyone he has a date to the ball, when in reality that couldn’t be further from the truth. At first, Tia and Quincy don’t see eye to eye, until they realise they both have something to gain by pretending to be a couple. But when a snowstorm threatens to cancel the Winter Ball, their fake relationship is put to the test. Will Tia and Quincy be able to keep up the pretence and save the day,  
978-1398516939
The Love Dare

The Love Dare

Can a dare made at Notting Hill Carnival turn into true love? He’s All That meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in this trope-filled sizzling summer romance, perfect for fans of Joya Goffney and Lynn Painter. Popular girl Eva Òjó is used to boys falling for her without her even trying. So when her friend dares her to dance with a random guy at Notting Hill Carnival, she meets Saint. Comic obsessed Saint Rowe-Falade thinks Eva is cute, but he's not interested in her in that way. He’d rather get lost in stories than look for romance. When Eva’s birthday party gets out of control and causes damage to her dad’s beloved car, her friends set the ultimate dare: get Saint to take her on one date and they’ll help her pay to fix her dad’s car. Operation fall-in-love-with-Eva is set in motion and Eva makes it her mission to make Saint fall head over heels. But just as Saint starts to warm to Eva, and her own feelings towards him grow, Saint finds out about the dare. Can Eva convince Saint she’s truly into him, or has she lost him for good? 
978-0755503681
The Very Merry Murder Club

The Very Merry Murder Club

wintery middle grade mystery collection of short stories by thirteen of the most exciting and diverse authors in children’s books today! Co-edited by Serena Patel, the award-winning author of the Anisha: Accidental Detective series and by Robin Stevens, author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series. Sleuthing through the snow, on a merry mysterious day, in disguise we go, investigating all the way . . . This gorgeous Christmas hardback gift of a collection brings together thirteen of the bestselling, award-winning and exciting debut authors: Abiola Bello, Annabelle Sami, Benjamin Dean, E.L. Norry, Elle McNicoll, Dominique Valente, Joanna Williams, Maisie Chan, Nizrana Farook, Patrice Lawrence, Roopa Farooki, Serena Patel and Sharna Jackson. With stunning illustrations by Harry Woodgate. Join them as part of the Very Merry Murder Club as they lead you on a snow-covered wintery journey of Christmassy crimes, festive foul play and murderously magnificent mysteries! 
9780755503704
The Very Merry Murder Club paperback

The Very Merry Murder Club paperback

Waterstones Children's Book of the Month for November 2022 A wintery middle grade mystery collection of short stories by thirteen of the most exciting children's authors! Sleuthing through the snow, on a merry mysterious day, in disguise we go, investigating all the way... This gorgeous Christmas gift of a collection brings together thirteen of the bestselling, award-winning and exciting debut authors: Abiola Bello, Annabelle Sami, Benjamin Dean, E.L. Norry, Elle McNicoll, Dominique Valente, Joanna Williams, Maisie Chan, Nizrana Farook, Patrice Lawrence, Roopa Farooki, Serena Patel and Sharna Jackson. Join them as part of the Very Merry Murder Club as they lead you on a snow-covered wintery journey of Christmassy crimes, festive foul play and murderously magnificent mysteries! Co-edited by Serena Patel, the award-winning author of the Anisha: Accidental Detective series and by Robin Stevens, author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series. With stunning illustrations by Harry Woodgate.  
978-0008651763
The Super Sunny Murder Club

The Super Sunny Murder Club

A collection of sizzling summer-themed crime and mystery stories by thirteen of the most popular, exciting and diverse children’s book authors! Co-edited by Serena Patel, the award-winning author of the Anisha: Accidental Detective series and by Robin Stevens, author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series. This gorgeous summery collection brings back together thirteen bestselling, award-winning and exciting authors: Abiola Bello, Annabelle Sami, Benjamin Dean, E.L. Norry, Elle McNicoll, Dominique Valente, Maisie Chan, Nizrana Farook, Patrice Lawrence, Robin Stevens, Roopa Farooki, Serena Patel and Sharna Jackson. With stunning illustrations by Harry Woodgate. Grab your sunnies and your magnifying glass, and join the Murder Club for more sensational short stories as they lead you on a journey of foul play and murderously magnificent mysteries! This is the perfect holiday entertainment and collection to pack in every young reader’s holiday bag! 

Photos

Abiola Bello - first image

Keywords

BLACK CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS DIVERSE DIVERSITY FANTASY FEMALE FICTION HEROINE LONDON LOVE MAGIC MIDDLE-GRADE ROM-COM SUPERHERO SUPERPOWERS YA YOUNG ADULT