Aleyna Rentz is a writer and photographer based in Baltimore.

She grew up in rural Southwest Georgia with her six brothers and sisters, a background that inspired much of the writing she finished at Johns Hopkins University, where she completed an MFA in creative writing. Her short story collection, The Land of Uz, was a finalist for the 2021 St. Lawrence Book Award from Black Lawrence Press, and her novel, All is Bright, was one of three finalists for the 2023 Lee Smith Novel Prize from Blair Press. She has also won a 2023 Pushcart Prize, first place in Pleiades‘ 2019 R.M. Kinder Realistic Fiction contest, and third place in Glimmer Train‘s Jan/Feb 2018 Short Story Award for New Writers. She currently serves as senior fiction reader for Salamander Magazine and writes and edits for The Hub, Johns Hopkins’ news website, and Johns Hopkins Magazine.

In addition to writing, Aleyna is currently available for booking as a photographer in Baltimore and the larger DMV area. She was recently featured in F-Stop Magazine’s group exhibition “The Portrait 2022,” and her travel photography has been used widely in various publications and projects.