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Zakiya Dalila Harris

Zakiya Dalila Harris (born October 20, 1992)[1] is an American author. She is best known for her bestselling debut novel The Other Black Girl, which was adapted into a television series for Hulu.[2][3]

Early life and education

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Harris was born and raised in Hamden, Connecticut.[4] Her father, Frank Harris III, is a professor at Southern Connecticut State University and former journalist for the Hartford Courant.[5][6][7] Her sister is writer and NPR podcaster Aisha Harris.[8]

Harris 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.[9]

Career

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Harris spent nearly three years at Knopf Doubleday, an imprint of Penguin Random House, first as an editorial assistant then as assistant editor, before leaving to write her debut novel The Other Black Girl. Her experiences working as an editor inspired the novel.[10] Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Guernica, and The Rumpus.[11]

The New York Times reported that Simon & Schuster's Atria imprint won the rights to The Other Black Girl in a deal valued at more than $1 million after a bidding war between 14 publishers.[10] 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.[12][13] 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."[14]

A television adaptation of the novel for Hulu was put into development in 2020 and later ordered to series in August 2022.[15][3] The series is produced by Onyx Collective and Temple Hill Entertainment. Harris and Rashida Jones, who both serve as executive producers on the series, co-wrote the pilot episode together.[16] The series stars Sinclair Daniel, Ashleigh Murray, Brittany Adebumola, Hunter Parrish, Bellamy Young, Eric McCormack, and Garcelle Beauvais.[17][18][19] The 10-episode first season of the series premiered on September 13, 2023.[20]

Personal life

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Harris resides in Brooklyn, New York.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Zakiya Dalila Harris [@zakiyadalilaharris] (October 20, 2022). "30. 🎉 I like it so far". Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023 – via Instagram.
  2. ^ Harris, Zakiya Dalila (2021-06-01). The Other Black Girl. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-9821-6013-5.
  3. ^ a b Rice, Lynette (August 4, 2022). "Hulu Gives Series Order To 'The Other Black Girl' From Onyx Collective". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Lambeck, Linda Conner (October 25, 2021). "She grew up in Hamden. Now Zakiya Dalila Harris is author of the bestseller 'The Other Black Girl'". New Haven Register. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  5. ^ Harris, Aisha (8 June 2018). "On Represent's Final Show, Two Generations of Journalists Discuss Covering Representation". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Frank Harris III | Southern Connecticut State University". www.southernct.edu. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  7. ^ Harris III, Frank (18 December 2013). "Santa's Just The Way We Imagine". courant.com. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Zakiya Dalila Harris And 'The Other Black Girl' : It's Been a Minute". NPR.org.
  9. ^ "Zakiya Dalila Harris: 'Publishing is such a spoofable world'". the Guardian. 2021-06-05. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  10. ^ a b c 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.
  11. ^ "Zakiya Dalila Harris". Esquire. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  12. ^ THE OTHER BLACK GIRL | Kirkus Reviews.
  13. ^ "Review | 'The Other Black Girl' should be at the top of your summer reading list". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  14. ^ Porter, Regina (2021-06-16). "The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris review – an audacious debut". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  15. ^ White, Peter (April 8, 2020). "Hulu Strikes Overall Deal With Former Netflix Exec Tara Duncan & Sets Adaptation Of Zakiya Dalila Harris' Novel 'The Other Black Girl'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  16. ^ Otterson, Joe (August 4, 2022). "Hulu Orders Comedy Series 'The Other Black Girl' With Rashida Jones Producing". Variety. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  17. ^ Rice, Lynette (October 31, 2022). "'The Other Black Girl': Sinclair Daniel, Ashleigh Murray, Brittany Adebumola and Hunter Parrish Join Hulu Original Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  18. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Rice, Lynette (November 3, 2022). "'The Other Black Girl': Eric McCormack & Bellamy Young Join Hulu Original Series From Onyx". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  19. ^ Rice, Lynette (December 13, 2022). "'The Other Black Girl': Garcelle Beauvais Joins Hulu Original Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  20. ^ Highfill, Samantha (July 18, 2023). "Get a first look at Hulu's The Other Black Girl adaptation". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
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