Zakiya N. Jamal was born in Queens, raised in Long Island, and currently resides in Brooklyn. In other words, she's a New Yorker through and through. She holds a BA in English from Georgetown University and a MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The New School. Her debut novel If We Were a Movie will be published in 2025 by HarperTeen.
""An irresistibly steamy ode to late bloomers, Sparks Fly perfectly captures the infectious giddiness of fully coming into one's own. The prose is smart, the spice delectable, and the love between Stella and Max gentle, authentic, and, indeed, sparkling. Zakiya N. Jamal's adult debut is a must-read for your shelf!""—Katie Naymon, author of You Between the Lines ""Timely, relatable, and a true pleasure, Sparks Fly takes the millionaire fantasy and turns it on its head in the best way. Watching late bloomer Stella and the dashing Max navigate bisexuality, love, sex, friendships, family, and the workplace feels like stepping into a complete world. I'll read anything Zakiya writes.""—TJ Alexander, USA Today bestselling author of A Gentleman's Gentleman