Diana Evans is a British author of Nigerian and English descent. Her bestselling novel, 26a , won the inaugural Orange Award for New Writers and the British Book Awards deciBel Writer of the Year prize. It was also shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel, the Guardian First Book, the Commonwealth Best First Book and the Times/Southbank Show Breakthrough awards, and longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Her second novel, The Wonder , is currently under option for TV dramatisation. She is a former dancer, and as a journalist and critic has contributed to among others Marie Claire , the Independent , the Guardian ,