Aliya Ali-Afzal

Aliya Ali-Afzal has a degree in Russian and German from University College London, and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. She is an Alum of the Curtis Brown Creative Novel Writing course.

Aliya worked as a City head-hunter, before retraining as an MBA career coach. She has always lived in London, since moving there from Pakistan as a young child, but has also spent time in Russia (both pre- and post-Perestroika), Germany, Amsterdam, and Cairo.

Her debut novel, WOULD I LIE TO YOU? is about Faiza, who has secretly spent her family’s emergency savings fund. When her husband Tom loses his job, she must do everything she can to keep him from uncovering her secret. As she becomes ever more desperate, she starts to realise that she’s not the only one whose perfect life hides something much darker. WOULD I LIE TO YOU? was longlisted for The Bath Novel Award and The Mslexia Novel award. It was published in July 2021 by Head of Zeus (UK) and Grand Central (US).

Her new book, THE BIG DAY, is about a British-Asian mother and daughter, who clash over the plans for the bride's Big Day. It published with Head of Zeus in June 2024.

You can follow her on twitter at: @AAAiswriting