Sufiyaan Salam's Debut Novel 'Wimmy Road Boyz' Wins Stormzy's #Merky Books Prize

Sufiyaan Salam's first novel, 'Wimmy Road Boyz', unfolds over the course of a single monumental night on Manchester's Curry Mile (Wilmslow Road). The narrative centers around three British-Pakistani friends in their twenties as they confront issues of race, class, sex, age, and the economy. In 2024, the book earned the New Writers' Prize from Stormzy's #Merky Books, which described it as a 'blistering debut novel'. The Observer recognized Salam as one of the top debut novelists of 2026, commending his 'raucous, wildly inventive prose'. At 28, Salam co-created the short film 'Magid/Zafar', which received the best British short award at the British Independent Film Awards and a Bafta nomination. He has also produced animated lyric videos for James Blunt and Elton John, contributed to Hollyoaks and JoJo & Gran Gran, and has a background in English and screenwriting. The novel is scheduled for release on 28 May.