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 was even made into a TV show for Hulu.
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Early Life and School
Zakiya Dalila Harris grew up in Hamden, Connecticut. Her father, Frank Harris III, taught at Southern Connecticut State University. He was also a journalist. Her sister, Aisha Harris, is also a writer and works for NPR.
Harris went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for her first degree. Later, she earned a special writing degree from The New School. This degree was in nonfiction creative writing.
Her Career as a Writer
Before becoming a full-time author, Zakiya Dalila Harris 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 in the publishing world gave her ideas for her first novel. After leaving her job, she focused on writing The Other Black Girl. Her essays and book reviews have also appeared in magazines like Cosmopolitan and Esquire. She has also written for online publications such as Guernica and The Rumpus.
The Other Black Girl Book
The Other Black Girl was released on June 1, 2021. It quickly became a very popular book. Many publishers wanted to publish her book. Simon & Schuster's Atria won the rights to publish it.
The book received many good reviews. Washington Post and Kirkus Reviews praised it. The Guardian newspaper said the book showed what it was like to work in publishing. It also explored how Black professional women try to stay true to themselves.
The Other Black Girl TV Show
The novel was so popular that it was turned into a TV series. The show was made for Hulu. Plans for the TV show started in 2020. The series was officially ordered in August 2022.
The show is produced by Onyx Collective and Temple Hill Entertainment. Zakiya Dalila Harris helped write the first episode. She also works as an executive producer for the series. The show features actors like Sinclair Daniel, Ashleigh Murray, Brittany Adebumola, Hunter Parrish, Bellamy Young, Eric McCormack, and Garcelle Beauvais. The first season had 10 episodes and started on September 13, 2023.
Personal Life
Zakiya Dalila Harris lives in Brooklyn, New York.
