Ashley Hickson-Lovence said:

‘I am so grateful to East Anglia for the permission it has given me to be a writer and to experiment and explore with this story that hopes to capture the magic and literary prowess of this region. Wild East is very much based on my lived experience of moving from East London to East Anglia, so I’m delighted that it has resonated with judges and readers across the region.

‘This is huge for me. It is validation that I should keep writing, and that if you really have belief and keep going, your creativity can really flourish in this region.’

Wild East is the empowering story of Ronny, a 14-year-old who moves out of London to a new city after his life is struck by tragedy. As a Black teenager in a mostly white school, Ronny feels like a complete outsider. But when a local poet comes into class, Ronny discovers a world he’s never considered before – that rap and poetry may be the key to achieving his dreams.

The judging panel praised Wild East for its creative rhythm and uplifting message and labelled it ‘a regional success with national relevance.’

Caroline Jarrold, one of the judges of the East Anglian Book Awards 2024 and community affairs adviser at Jarrold & Sons, said:

‘Yet again, we had a compelling list of worthy category winners in the EABA. At the judging session, there was much debate about the merits of the different books, and which should win the ultimate award of the Book of the Year. It was a really challenging to decide which book should win and we had some very interesting discussions, but it was also recognised that each title was the outstanding book in its category, and we enjoyed reading them all.

‘Ultimately, we chose Wild East by Ashley Hickson-Lovence as we felt that it was a beautifully written portrayal of the challenges facing young people today and gave real hope to show how someone can flourish in difficult environments. It showed real humanity in how different relationships can evolve and we felt that it was very uplifting. It also gave a sense of Norwich as a place where people could thrive.’

Ashley Hickson-Lovence is a poet, novelist and university lecturer with a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of East Anglia. His debut novel The 392 was published with OWN IT! in April 2019 and his second novel Your Show was released with Faber in April 2022 and was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards. His third book, Wild East, was released with Penguin in 2024.

The Exceptional Contribution Award for outstanding work within writing and publishing in the region was presented to owner and founder of The Book Hive and publishing imprint Propolis, Henry Layte.

On accepting the award, Henry said:

‘I am very honoured and very grateful to have received this award. Throughout my career, it has been lovely to always have the support and friendship of the community of writers and readers in East Anglia, including those at the National Centre for Writing.

‘I am always trying to create and cultivate an atmosphere where the literary arts can flourish. It makes me very touched to have my work in this community acknowledged and have a nod to the fact that it might be doing some good.’

To qualify for the East Anglian Book Awards, works must be set largely in East Anglia or be written by an author living in the region – which is defined as Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and area of Fenland District Council.

Founded in 2008, the East Anglian Book Awards have showcased the work of hundreds of authors, titles and publishers, including bestselling novelist Sarah Perry, nature writer Mark Cocker, and children’s writer A.M. Howell.

The awards are organised by the Eastern Daily Press, Jarrold and the National Centre for Writing, with support from UEA’s Faculty of Arts & Humanities.