Zakiya Dalila Harris
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[]
- ^ The Other Black Girl. 2021-06-01. ISBN 978-1-9821-6013-5.
- ^ "About | Zakiya Dalila Harris".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "Zakiya Dalila Harris: 'Publishing is such a spoofable world'". the Guardian. 2021-06-05. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Bloomsbury wins satirical debut The Other Black Girl in six-figure deal | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
- ^ THE OTHER BLACK GIRL | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ "Review | 'The Other Black Girl' should be at the top of your summer reading list". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
- ^ Porter, Regina (2021-06-16). "The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris review – an audacious debut". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
- ^ 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[]
- American women novelists
- African-American novelists
- African-American women writers
- The New School alumni
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
- Writers from Connecticut
- 21st-century African-American women
- 21st-century African-American people
- Living people