Background & Upbringing
Malik was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, at age eight with his parents and four siblings. His father, a small business owner, and his mother, a nurse, worked tirelessly to provide educational opportunities for their children.
Education
Studied English Literature at a New York City public university and later completed an MFA in Creative Writing.
Professional Background
After college, Malik taught literature at a high school in Queens. Now, he writes contemporary romantic fiction with African and African American cultural elements, blending diaspora experiences with modern romance.
Places Lived
Lagos, Brooklyn, and upstate New York. He spent a year studying abroad in London.
Influences
He cites Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Zadie Smith among his primary literary influences. Musically, he’s drawn to Afrobeat (Fela Kuti) and jazz (John Coltrane), seeing parallels between improvisation in music and storytelling techniques. Malik’s global upbringing shapes his inclusive take on what “elegance” and “sophistication” mean in romance.
