The Aldiss Award awards ceremony.
At the start of the Saturday evening’s award ceremony at this year’s World Fantasy Convention I (Tim, Brian’s son) was proud to be able to stand up and introduce not only the concept of an award for world-building in speculative fiction, but to also announce the winner of this, the inaugural year.
And the winner is Rogba Payne for The Dance of Shadows. A hearty congratulations to him on crafting such a worthy winner, and thank you too to publisher Orion for their submission, and also to Marcus Gipps for accepting the award on his behalf and for saying a few words of acceptance which Rogba had kindly written.
Who he is
Rogba Payne is a British-Nigerian author and practising lawyer. He was born in London (the eldest of three children) and raised between London and Lagos, Nigeria. (Rogba Payne)
He is also a descendant of John Augustus Otunba‑Payne — a noted lawyer, writer and prince of the Ijebu-Ode royal family. (Fantasy-Hive)
Professionally, Payne studied law in England, worked in a corporate law firm in Nigeria (eventually up to Senior Counsel), then co-founded his own practice. (Fantasy-Hive)
Parallel to his legal career, he has developed his craft as a writer of speculative fiction — especially fantasy rooted in African myth, culture and spirituality. (Rogba Payne)
Literary work & themes
The Dance of Shadows is his debut novel (published April 2024 by Gollancz) — a high fantasy story set on the fictional continent of Darosa, in the nation of Basmine, where gods, witch-doctors, tribal chiefs and colonial power collide. (Fantasy-Hive)
He has a follow-up titled A Testimony of Blood (2025) listed on his author profile. (Fantastic Fiction)
Payne’s fiction is characterised by its blend of West African spiritual traditions and the mechanics of fantasy: myth, magic, music, power dynamics, prejudice and the legacy of colonialism. (Fantasy-Hive)
In an interview he explained that fantasy “has always been my safe haven … I hope … a world where readers can put that mask away.” (Fantasy-Hive)
Why he’s notable
He joins a growing cadre of writers bringing African and diaspora mythologies into speculative fiction — contributing to the diversification of fantasy. For example, his debut has been described as “high fantasy … West African tradition, rituals and folklore” by critics. (Rogba Payne)
His dual career (law and writing) and his cross-continental upbringing give him a distinctive voice: bridging legal, cultural and mythic worlds.
His familial heritage (Ijebu-Ode royal lineage) and background in both London and Lagos give him an authentic link to the cultures he draws on — which strengthens his integration of myth and narrative.
Key details at a glance
- Born: London; raised between London and Lagos. (Gollancz)
- Profession: Lawyer (corporate, then own practice) + Speculative fiction author. (Fantasy-Hive)
- Debut novel: The Dance of Shadows (2024). (Amazon)
- Upcoming / second novel: A Testimony of Blood (2025). (Fantastic Fiction)
- Agent: Represented by The Blair Partnership for literary matters. (The Blair Partnership)
- Themes: Myths, music, spirituality, power, inequality, African-centred perspective.
