Dalilla Hermans (1986) is a writer, theatre maker, illustrator, public speaker, podcast host, and Honorary Fellow at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). At heart, however, she is simply a storyteller, always searching for the form that best serves each story.

Since 2017, she has published eight books, contributed to numerous others, written hundreds of opinion pieces for a wide range of publications, and delivered more than 400 talks in Belgium and abroad. She has written and directed four theatre productions—her(e), Us (k)now, Queen (M)other, and Wij/Zij, the latter of which she also performed alongside her husband.

Between early 2020 and March 2026, she wrote more than 800 columns for the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. In 2023 and 2024, she served as Programme Lead for Bruges’ bid to become a European Capital of Culture 2030. She has also curated numerous literary and cultural events and festivals.

In addition to her literary work, she is a painter and spoken word artist. In Flanders, she is perhaps best known for her anti-racism advocacy and her appearances on the popular television quiz show De Slimste Mens ter Wereld. Ask her what matters most, however, and she’ll tell you she is first and foremost the mother of three children and the wife of Willem.