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Bestselling Young Adult Novelist
2022 NAACP Image Award Winner
Travels from: London, UK

“Àbíké-Íyímídé excels in portraying the conflict of characters who exist in two worlds…” —Publishers Weekly

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is the instant New York Times, International bestselling & Award-winning author of Ace of Spades, billed as ‘Get Out meets Gossip Girl’, Entertainment Weekly has called it “Summer 2021 hottest YA debut.” Born and raised in Croydon, South London, Faridah moved to the Scottish Highlands for her undergraduate degree where she completed a BA in English Literature. She is currently pursuing an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London.

She is a Morris Award 2022 Finalist, the winner of the Books Are My Bag 2021 Reader’s Award for Young Adult Fiction, and the winner of the 53rd NAACP Image Awards in the Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens. Abíké-Íyímídé established and runs a mentorship scheme for unagented writers of colour, helping them on their journey to get published. She has also written for NME, The Bookseller, Readers Digest and gal-dem.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie

Feiwel & Friends |
Young Adult Thriller

In Where Sleeping Girls Lie ― a YA contemporary mystery by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, the New York Times-bestselling author of Ace of Spades  a girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets and coverups after her roommate disappears.

It’s like I keep stumbling into a dark room, searching for the switch to make things bright again…

Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school after being home-schooled all her life. Misfortune has been a constant companion all her life, but even Sade doesn’t expect her new roommate, Elizabeth, to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it.

With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the girls collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them―especially Persephone, who Sade is inexplicably drawn to―and playing catchup in class, Sade already has so much on her plate. But when it seems people don’t care enough about what happened to Elizabeth to really investigate, it’s up to she and Elizabeth’s best friend to solve it.

And then a student is found dead.

As they keep trying to figure out what’s going on, Sade realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she thought. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.

Ace of Spades

Fiewel & Friends |
Young Adult Fiction

Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully.

All you need to know is . . . I’m here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. —Aces

When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.

Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.

As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?

With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.

Being a writer in college/high school

Writing with a learning disability (dyslexia)

Queering your Work: Writing queer stories

Horror Noire: Writing dark stories featuring Black characters and what that means

Publishing 101: How to break in and all the nitty gritty stuff people don't always know to discuss

#BNYABookClub Live: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé with Maureen Johnson

Meet Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Ace of Spades – Character Introduction

Ace of Spades – Content Warning

Ace of Spades – Spotify Playlist

Honors, Awards & Recognition

2022 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
2022 William C. Morris Award Finalist
2022 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A YALSA 2022 Best Fiction for Young Adults Finalist
An Amazon Best Book of 2021
A School Library Journal Best Young Adult Book, 2021
A BuzzFeed Best YA Book Covers Of 2021
A Boston Globe Best Book of 2021
An Autostraddle Best Queer Book of 2021
A The Young Folks Best Book Debut of 2021

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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