Major congratulations go out to Aaliyah Bilal ’04, who this week was one of 10 emerging writers honored with a 2024 Whiting Award! Bilal, who was a 2023 National Book Award finalist for her story collection “Temple Folk,” will receive a $50,000 prize in support of her work. The Whiting Foundation, which gives out the awards, praised “Temple Folk” by noting the book "invites readers into a world whose complexity has been often overlooked, informing her explorations with a prickling specificity and psychological insight." Bilal recently came back to Oberlin for a fantastic reading and discussion with students. (📸: @crupi_photo) More info on the Whiting Awards at the #linkinbio. #oberlincollege #oberlinalumni #books