2025 Jhalak Prize Children’s and YA Winner
King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore won the 2025 Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize. “Immensely readable and downright hilarious,” judges praised its insightful handling of toxic masculinity and grief with humour. Visit: https://www.bonnierbooks.co.uk/books/hot-key-books/king-of-nothing/
Born in Camberwell to French and Madagascan parents, Lessore previously won the 2024 Branford Boase Award for his debut Steady for This. His winning book also claimed the Older Readers category in the 2025 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize
The panel—Yassmin Abdel‑Magied, Hiba Noor Khan, and Alom Shaha—hailed King of Nothing as “vital for today,” applauding its blend of humor and emotional depth
As the winner, Lessore received £1,000 and a trophy created by artist Lucy Farfort, as part of the Jhalak Art Residency
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