Zakiya Dalila Harris

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Zakiya Dalila Harris is an American author known for her bestselling debut novel The Other Black Girl.[1]

Early life and education[]

Harris was born and raised in Connecticut.[2] She received her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MFA in nonfiction creative writing from The New School.[3]

Career[]

Harris spent nearly three years at Knopf/Doubleday, first as an editorial assistant then as assistant editor, before leaving to write her debut novel The Other Black Girl.[4] Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Guernica and The Rumpus.[citation needed]

The New York Times reported that Simon & Schuster's Atria imprint won the rights to the book in a nine-way auction for a six figure sum against fourteen publishers prior to its release.[5][4] The Other Black Girl was released on June 1, 2021 and received positive critical reception from outlets such as the Washington Post and Kirkus Reviews.[6][7] The Guardian described it as "a glimpse into the publishing world and its original take on black professional women striving to hold on to their authentic selves and their stresses."[8]

She cites as key influences Passing by Nella Larsen, Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred, Toni Morrison’s Sula, and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.[3] Harris has also cited Jordan Peele's movie Get Out and Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives as inspiration for the novel, which contains elements of horror and satire.[4]

A TV adaptation of this book is currently in development with Tara Duncan, Temple Hill Entertainment, and Hulu.[9] Harris is co-writing the pilot with Rashida Jones.[4]

Personal life[]

Harris resides in Brooklyn, New York.

References[]

  1. ^ The Other Black Girl. 2021-06-01. ISBN 978-1-9821-6013-5.
  2. ^ "About | Zakiya Dalila Harris".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b "Zakiya Dalila Harris: 'Publishing is such a spoofable world'". the Guardian. 2021-06-05. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  4. ^ a b c d Harris, Elizabeth A. (2021-05-23). "Her Book Doesn't Go Easy on Publishing. Publishers Ate It Up". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  5. ^ "Bloomsbury wins satirical debut The Other Black Girl in six-figure deal | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  6. ^ THE OTHER BLACK GIRL | Kirkus Reviews.
  7. ^ "Review | 'The Other Black Girl' should be at the top of your summer reading list". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  8. ^ Porter, Regina (2021-06-16). "The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris review – an audacious debut". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  9. ^ White, Peter (2020-04-08). "Hulu Strikes Overall Deal With Former Netflix Exec Tara Duncan & Sets Adaptation Of Zakiya Dalila Harris' Novel 'The Other Black Girl'". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-08-31.

External links[]

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