Aaliyah Bilal

About

Aaliyah Bilal is an American writer born and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She studied at Oberlin College and the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. Her fiction and essays have appeared in literary publications including The Michigan Quarterly Review and The Rumpus. Bilal’s debut short-story collection, Temple Folk (2023), explores the lives of Black Muslims in America, particularly the complexities of faith, family, race, and community within the Nation of Islam. Her work brings attention to experiences often underrepresented in contemporary American literature, portraying characters whose spiritual convictions coexist with doubt, personal struggles, and everyday contradictions. Temple Folk was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction and received widespread critical acclaim for its nuanced, compassionate portrayal of Black Muslim life.