Aaliyah Bilal

Aaliyah Bilal is an American writer. She is best known for her debut collection of short stories, Temple Folk,[1] which tells of the lives of Black Muslims living in America in the 1970s, including their participation and interaction with The Nation of Islam. The book was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction[2] and the 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize.[3] She also received the 2024 Whiting Award.[4] She was subsequently named one of the 10 Whiting Prize recipients for 2024.[5] In May 2024, it was announced the book received the 17th annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.[6]

Bilal grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. to a middle class Sunni Muslim family.[7] She attended Oberlin College where she earned degrees in African American studies and Spanish, and the University of London where she earned a master's degree.[8] Bilal has cited Toni Morrison, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Edward P. Jones as literary influences. Her previous writing has also appeared in The Chicago Quarterly Review and The Rumpus.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Temple Folk". Kirkus Reviews. 2023-06-08. Archived from the original on 2024-04-28. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  2. ^ "National Book Awards 2023". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on 2024-01-30. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  3. ^ Schaub, Michael (2024-03-14). "Aspen Words Literary Prize 2024 Finalists Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  4. ^ "10 writers win 2024 Whiting Awards for emerging authors". NPR. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  5. ^ "10 writers win 2024 Whiting Awards for emerging authors". NPR. Archived from the original on 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  6. ^ "The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence". ErnestGainesaward.org.
  7. ^ Harris, Elizabeth A. (12 October 2023). "She Didn't Even Have an Agent. Her Debut Is a National Book Award Finalist". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  8. ^ "Aaliyah Bilal '04 Named National Book Award Finalist". Oberlin College and Conservatory. 2023-10-09. Archived from the original on 2024-01-13. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  9. ^ "Woman In Niqab By Aaliyah Bilal". The Rumpus.net. Archived from the original on 2023-10-14. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
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