The Manchester community and surrounding towns are invited to read and meet the author in our free 2022 One Book, One Town event. The 2022 One Book, One Town selection is “The Other Black Girl”, written by Connecticut native and New York Times Best-Selling Author Zakiya Dalila Harris. Copies of the book are available to borrow from both Manchester Public Library buildings, or for purchase from our partner, Book Club on the Go.  

This community-wide reading will culminate in the author visiting on Thursday September, 29^th, 2022 at 6:30PM at the SBM Foundation Auditorium at Manchester Community College.
More details on the event will be able in the future, including events leading up to the main keynote program on the 29^th of September.

Community book clubs are encouraged to select this for discussion. For copies book club leaders may contact Jenn Bartlett at: [email protected] (library copies) or Cynde Acanto, Book Club on the Go: [email protected] (copies to purchase).

The One Book, One Town event is supported by The SBM Charitable Foundation, the Cheney Family Foundation, and other private donors.

What is a One Book, One Town reading and event? One Book, One Town are community reading programs that encourage building community spirit through a shared reading experience and discussion. The program is inspired by librarian and author Nancy Pearl of the Seattle Public Library’s Washington Center For the Book, who wondered what would happen if everyone in a community read the same book at the same time.

The One Book, One Town Committee is comprised of Jenn Bartlett, Manchester Public Library Head of Reference and Adult Services, Linda Harris, The African American and Black Affairs Council, Dr. Diane Clare-Kearney, Director at Manchester Adult and Continuing Education, Debbie Herman, Director of Library and Educational Technology at Manchester Community College, Angelina Dale and Kelly Shea, Manchester High School English Co-Leaders, Cynde Acanto owner of Book Club on the Go, and David Garnes, former librarian, UCONN.

About “The Other Black Girl”:

A Good Morning America and Read with Marie Claire Book Club Pick and a People Best Book of Summer

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Time, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly, Marie Claire, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Parade, Goodreads, Fortune, and BBC

​​Named a Best Book of 2021 by Time, The Washington Post, Esquire, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, The Boston Globe, Harper’s Bazaar, and NPR

​​​​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.

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 microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred 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 elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.

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 realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career.

A dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.

About Zakiya Dalila Harris:

Zakiya Dalila Harris is the author of the instant bestseller The Other Black Girl, her debut novel that has been named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Time, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly, The Millions, Lit Hub, Electric Literature, The Rumpus, CrimeReads, Goodreads, Fortune, HypeBae, BBC, and more. Harris’ book has been called “a can’t-miss title for 2021” (Harper’s Bazaar) and a thriller that “you won’t be able to put down” (Today Show), garnering widespread attention more than half a year from its publication date. It will also be adapted to a television series for Hulu, with Harris serving as co-writer and executive producer.

Electric, darkly funny, and endlessly surprising, The Other Black Girl explores the chaos that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing. Tired of the isolation and microagressions while being the only Black employee at Wagner Books, twenty-six year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is thrilled when Harlem-born-and-bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. But just as their friendship begins to blossom, a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust. Then, the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind those hostile messages, but as Nella begins to spiral, obsess, and ultimately uncover the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career.

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 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. Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Guernica and The Rumpus.