About the Author
Zakiya Dalila Harris is the author of the instant bestseller The Other Black Girl. Her debut novel was named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Time, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly, The Millions, Lit Hub, Electric Literature, The Rumpus, CrimeReads, Goodreads, Fortune, and BBC. The Other Black Girl was adapted into a television series for Hulu, with Harris serving as co-writer and executive producer.
Electric, darkly funny, and endlessly surprising, The Other Black Girl explores the chaos that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing. Tired of the isolation and microagressions while being the only Black employee at Wagner Books, twenty-six year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. Just as their friendship blossoms, a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust. Then, the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. Nella begins to spiral, obsess, and ultimately uncovers the sinister forces at play. She soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career.
Harris is no stranger to the publishing industry, having spent close to three years as an editorial assistant at Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House. Described as Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out, The Other Black Girl is a whip-smart commentary perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace. Harris’ writing initiates eye-opening and candid discussions that highlight the microaggressions, racism, and hierarchies that often develop in the workplace. Her keynotes invite readers to think about their position in the workplace through the lenses of class, privilege, race, and gender.
Prior to working in publishing, Harris received her MFA in creative writing from The New School and her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Guernica and The Rumpus.
Raves and Reviews
Praise for The Other Black Girl
Filled with twists both unsettling and unexpected . . . such a timely read.”
—TIME
A thrilling, edgier Devil Wears Prada that explores privilege and racism.”
—Washington Post
Riveting, fearless, and vividly original. This is an exciting debut.”
—EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL, New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Hotel
A dazzling, darkly humorous story…the novel overflows with witty dialogue and skillfully drawn characters, its biggest strength lies in its penetrating critique of gatekeeping in the publishing industry and the deleterious effects it can have on Black editors. This insightful, spellbinding book packs a heavy punch.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred)
Harris isn’t afraid of taking risks in this book, pushing the plot to thrilling heights. As extraordinary as The Other Black Girl‘s story becomes, it’s rooted in all-too-real social problems.”
—Oprah Daily
Wholly earned brilliance. Harris makes her entrance as an author with singular style. Whatever she does next might seem quieter, but watch for it: It will be brilliant.”
—NPR
Funny and subversive, this debut about the trials of a Black assistant at a mostly white publishing house uses suspense, horror and satire to bring home the toll of workplace racism.”
—People
Witty, inventive, and smart, The Other Black Girl goes deeper to take on class privilege, race, and gender in a narrative that slyly plays along the edges of convention. Zakiya Dalila Harris’s debut is a brilliant combustion of suspense, horror, and social commentary that leaves no assumption unchallenged and no page unturned.”
—WALTER MOSLEY, internationally bestselling author of Devil in a Blue Dress
Filled with twists and moments that make you think, Zakiya Dalila Harris’ The Other Black Girl is the sharp, compulsive thriller you need this June.”
—Shondaland
Initially satirical and then spectacularly creepy […] This unique thriller [has] echoes of both Jordan Peele and, in the end, George Orwell.”
—Washington Post
[A] perceptive exploration of racism in publishing, wrapped up in a whip-smart story of young women at war in the workplace.”
—Los Angeles Times
In the Media
“The Napkin Project (Holiday Edition): Zakiya Dalila Harris”
“Zakiya Dalila Harris’ life inspired ‘The Other Black Girl.’ Why she had to cut the cord”
“Race in America: Giving Voice with Zakiya Dalila Harris, Author of “The Other Black Girl””
‘The Other Black Girl’ Is an Immersive, Genre-Bending Debut”
“Her Book Doesn’t Go Easy on Publishing. Publishers Ate It Up.”
