Zakiya Dalila Harris

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Elizabeth Day talks to Zakiya Dalila Harris about her debut novel, The Other Black Girl, a biting social satire on the publishing industry. The novel tells the story of 26-year-old Nella, an editorial assistant and the only Black woman in her office. When Hazel, a new Black colleague arrives, she assumes they will bond, but when tensions escalate, sinister notes are left on Nella’s desk and she falls out of favour is there more to Hazel than meets the eye. The novel swerves into thriller territory with a dash of magical realism. Last year, Small Pleasures was writer Clare Chambers first novel in a decade, which became a word of mouth bestseller and longlisted for the Women’s Prize. Set in the 1950s, the novel features Jean Swinney, a reporter on the North Kent Echo, who investigates an alleged virgin birth. The writer AJ Pearce also has a female journalist - described as The Bridget Jones of the Blitz - at the centre of her novels. Emmeline Lake is the upbeat heroine of both the hugely successful Dear Mrs Bird and now Pearce’s follow-up, Yours Cheerfully, where the magazine she works for has been conscripted by the government to inspire women to join the war effort. The writers talk about putting journalists at the heart of their novels and the unerring stoicism of their characters as they undertake duty ahead of self-fulfilment. And writer Leone Ross, who recently published This One Sky Day, shares the Book I've Never Lend. Book List – Sunday 20 June and Thursday 24 June The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers Yours Cheerfully by A. J. Pearce Dear Mrs Bird by A. J. Pearce The Lunatic by Anthony C Winkler One Sky Day by Leone Ross All the Blood is Red by Leone Ross Orange Laughter by Leone Ross