
The Other Black Girl (Hardback)
Zakiya Dalila Harris (author)Published: 01/06/2021

Following two young Black women carving their careers in the unexpectedly sinister world of book publishing, Harris’s razor-edged debut is at once a gripping thriller and a shrewd piece of social commentary.
Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada in this electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of book publishing.
Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and the micro-aggressions, she's thrilled when Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They've only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events cause Nella to become Public Enemy Number One and Hazel, the Office Darling. Then the notes begin to appear on Nella's desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. It's hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realises that there is a lot more at stake than her career.
A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9781526630377
Number of pages: 368
Weight: 696 g
Dimensions: 234 x 153 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Zakiya Dalila Harris has written one of the books of the year. Piercing and funny . . . The book builds up to a climax that really will blow your mind' - Stylist
'Weaving in important discussions around race, navigating white spaces and the corporate world, this is a vital piece of literature that will have you howling and wincing at the same time' - Refinery29 UK
'[This] stunning debut . . . flies into uncharted territory as a racially charged thriller/horror mash-up and perfectly sticks its unpredictable landing . . . Timely and timeless' - The Times
'Bright and funny . . . You will turn page after page after page in your eagerness to unravel this unique tale' - Oyinkan Braithwaite, New York Times
'This tale of office racism feels like a thriller and ends up somewhere close to sci-fi. The payoff is darkly, brutally twisted, a witty commentary on the behaviours people adopt in order to get ahead within oppressive structures' - Guardian
'A bitingly satirical novel about race and the workplace' - Independent
'Packed full of shrewd observations on power struggles and strength, this is unputdownable' - Cosmopolitan
'I loved it! This is one of the cleverest books I've read for years . . . The subtlety of Nella's character is incredible . . . so brilliantly fine-tuned. I fully expect to see this book sweeping all the prize lists' - Natasha Pulley
'A smart riff on black horror, the publishing world, and the realities of being black and female' - i
'The funniest, wildest, deepest, most thought-provoking ride of a book' - Attica Locke
'Ideal for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or dismissed in the workplace' - Fortune
'Witty, inventive and smart . . . A brilliant combustion of suspense, horror and social commentary that leaves no assumption unchallenged and no page unturned' - Walter Mosley
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“A thriller or a sly social commentary?”
A whip-smart thriller that’s funny, compelling and also a searing look at race in an office environment. Saddle up for a highly entertaining ride that will make some waves this summer.
Harris will be one of 2021’s...
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“Very disappointing”
The Other Black Girl was definitely a book of two halves for me. The majority of the book is a slow paced, realistic thriller set in a publishing house with a real sense of unease running through it. After years of... More
“Absolutely gripping.”
This book has been described as “Get Out” meets “The Devil Wears Prada” and whilst ordinarily I’m not a big fan of putting high expectations on books this one absolutely lives up to that description. The eery tension... More
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