Zakiya Dalila Harris

Months before its release, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑶𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍 was on the tips of everyone's tongues. The thriller debut novel from Zakiya Dalila Harris gripped readers this year and snatched all of our edges.

Set in the white-dominated world of publishing, we are introduced to editorial assistant Nella Rogers. Everything changes when Nella meets Hazel-May McCall, the newest employee at Wagner Books. What appears to be a great addition to the workspace becomes a suspenseful trek in microaggressions and gaslighting.

Zakiya Dalila Harris talks to us about her book, her hair journey, and how her time in publishing served as the inspiration for this year's most talked-about book.