Author of this Summer’s New York Times Bestseller The Other Black Girl
Friday, November 12, 2021 at 7 p.m.
Lyman Center, Southern Connecticut State University
This event is over.
Urgent, propulsive and sharp as a knife, The Other Black Girl is an electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing. Zakiya Dalila Harris will read from and discuss her best-selling novel, named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Time and The Washington Post, a People Best Book of the Summer, and a Good Morning America, Esquire, and Read with Marie Claire Book Club Pick.
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, especially in overwhelmingly white industries. Her keynotes and talks invite readers to think about their position in the workplace with a deeper examination on 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. She is a graduate of Hamden High School in Hamden, Conn. Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Guernica and The Rumpus.
Raves and Reviews for The Other Black Girl
“A thrilling, edgier Devil Wears Prada that explores privilege and racism.”
– Washington Post
“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
“A satire of the clueless racial politics at a prestigious literary house with, in its second half, a horror-movie twist."
– Wall Street Journal
“[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
"This twisty thriller will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find her voice as the only Black woman in the room."
– Essence
“The Other Black Girl is unlike anything I've ever read before. Wholly original, powerful, and a gripping page turner. This is the kind of book that turns authors into stars and the readers into rabid fans. I cannot wait to see what Zakiya does next.”
– PHOEBE ROBINSON, bestselling author of You Can't Touch My Hair
"Electrifying and ingenious, Zakiya Dalila Harris's The Other Black Girl is essential reading!"
– TERRY MCMILLAN, New York Times bestselling author of It's Not All Downhill From Here