Zaynab Alkali’s critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Stillborn, published in 1984, captured the struggles and resilience of women navigating the weight of social expectation. With each work that followed, from The Virtuous Woman to The Descendants, she created a presence for female voices in a literary world where they were often overlooked.

For over two decades, she shaped minds in the classroom, teaching English at the University of Maiduguri. She later joined the civil service, lending her expertise to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) for four years before moving to Nasarawa State University, where she mentored aspiring writers.

Alkali drew inspiration from the drama of everyday life—the complexities of human relationships, the silent battles fought behind closed doors, and the quiet defiance of women who refused to be invisible.