Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé author page

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé biography

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is a British author known for her young adult fiction that explores themes of identity, race, and social justice. Born and raised in Croydon, South London, she pursued a BA in English Literature at the University of Aberdeen and later obtained an MA in Shakespeare Studies from King’s College London.

Her debut novel, Ace of Spades (2021), is a young adult thriller that delves into institutional racism and homophobia within an elite private school setting. The book received critical acclaim, becoming a New York Times bestseller and earning several accolades, including the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens in 2022, the Books Are My Bag 2021 Reader’s Award for Young Adult Fiction, and a finalist position for the William C. Morris Award in 2022.

In 2024, Àbíké-Íyímídé released Where Sleeping Girls Lie, a boarding school mystery, and co-authored Four Eids and a Funeral with Adiba Jaigirdar, a story centered on two ex-best friends working together to save their Islamic Centre. She also contributed to the Marvel universe with a story featuring the character Spider-UK/Zarina Zahari and authored The Doomsday Date for World Book Day 2024.

Beyond her novels, Àbíké-Íyímídé has written for publications such as The Bookseller, gal-dem, NME, and Reader’s Digest. She is the founder of the mentorship scheme “Avengers of Colour,” which supports unagented writers of colour in their journey to publication.

Àbíké-Íyímídé identifies as Black, queer, Muslim, and of Nigerian heritage. She currently resides in London.