Zakiya Dalila Harris facts for kids

Zakiya Dalila Harris was born on October 20, 1992. She is an American writer. She is famous for her first novel, The Other Black Girl. This book became a TV show on Hulu. It was a very popular book.

Growing Up and School

Zakiya grew up in Hamden, Connecticut. Her dad, Frank Harris III, teaches at Southern Connecticut State University. He also used to be a journalist for a newspaper. Zakiya's sister, Aisha Harris, is also a writer. She hosts a podcast for NPR.

Zakiya went to college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She later earned a special degree in writing from The New School. This degree was for writing true stories.

Her Writing Career

Before becoming a full-time writer, Zakiya worked in publishing. She spent almost three years at Knopf Doubleday. This company is part of Penguin Random House. She started as an assistant and then became an assistant editor. Her experiences working there helped inspire her first novel.

Her essays and book reviews have appeared in many magazines. These include Cosmopolitan and Esquire. Her writing has also been in Guernica and The Rumpus.

The Other Black Girl was released on June 1, 2021. Many publishers wanted to publish her book. Simon & Schuster's Atria won the rights. The book received great reviews. Washington Post and Kirkus Reviews praised it. The Guardian said it showed how Black women try to stay true to themselves at work.

The novel was later made into a TV show for Hulu. The show started being developed in 2020. It was officially ordered as a series in August 2022. Zakiya Harris helped write the first episode. She also works as an executive producer for the show. The series stars Sinclair Daniel and Ashleigh Murray. Other actors include Brittany Adebumola and Hunter Parrish. The first season had 10 episodes. It premiered on September 13, 2023.

Her Life Now

Zakiya Harris lives in Brooklyn, New York.