‘Girlfriends’ Creator Mara Brock Akil Set to Publish Her First Novel, ‘The Revelation of Dionne Daphne’
Mara Brock Akil, the acclaimed showrunner and executive producer, is set to make her debut as a novelist with “The Revelation of Dionne Daphne,” to be published June 30.
The novel will be released by Storehouse Voices, an imprint of Crown Publishing. Known as the creator of such enduring series as UPN/CW’s “Girlfriends,” CW/BET’s “The Game,” BET’s “Being Mary Jane,” OWN’s “Love Is __” and Netflix’s “Forever,” Brock Akil brings her signature storytelling to the page with a story that explores love, identity, buried trauma and self-revelation.
“The Revelation of Dionne Daphne” centers on Dionne Daphne, a magnetic, thirty-something New Yorker in the 1990s who appears to have it all. She is the beauty editor at a prestigious magazine, moves within elite social circles and has a seemingly perfect boyfriend. That carefully curated life begins to fracture when he arrives unannounced at her Brooklyn doorstep with life-altering news, forcing Dionne to confront truths she has long avoided.
As Dionne reckons with the present, she is pulled into her past, unearthing a dark secret hidden since childhood. What follows is an emotionally charged exploration of enduring love, world-shattering revelations and personal awakening. At once provocative and deeply moving, the novel traces broken lovers, fractured families and distant friendships as they find their way back to one another, revealing how light can emerge from life’s deepest shadows.
The novel marks a significant expansion of Brock Akil’s storytelling across mediums. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, she has introduced audiences to complex characters, including Joan Clayton of “Girlfriends,” Mary Jane Paul of “Being Mary Jane” and, most recently, Keisha in the Netflix series “Forever.”
“I wrote this novel to take readers through a story that may feel familiar — one of isolation, shame, resilience and the redemptive power of love,” Brock Akil said. “My hope is that readers see themselves in Dionne, recognize the weight they’ve been carrying and feel permission to release it. Stepping into fiction has been a beautiful expansion of my storytelling, and I’m grateful to have Storehouse Voices alongside me on this journey.”
“Mara Brock Akil has shaped the emotional landscape of a generation through television,” said Tamira Chapman, publisher of Storehouse Voices. “With “The Revelation of Dionne Daphne,” she brings that same vulnerability, insight and cultural fluency to the page. This is a powerful literary debut that affirms the permanence and importance of Black women’s interior lives.”
Chelcee Johns, executive editor at Storehouse Voices, said the novel exceeded expectations years in the making. “This debut wrestles with sexual awakening, family trauma, sudden love and evolving friendship through a character with as much bite as tenderness,” Johns said. “We’re proud to publish Mara Brock Akil’s fiction debut and excited for longtime fans and new readers alike.”
Brock Akil’s work has earned widespread recognition, including the African American Film Critics Association TV Honors Legacy Award in 2025. She will receive the Producers Guild of America’s Norman Lear Achievement Award on Feb. 28, in Los Angeles. Her hit Netflix series “Forever,” adapted from the beloved Judy Blume novel, reached No. 1 on the platform last year and is set to return for a second season.
The novel will be released by Storehouse Voices, an imprint of Crown Publishing. Known as the creator of such enduring series as UPN/CW’s “Girlfriends,” CW/BET’s “The Game,” BET’s “Being Mary Jane,” OWN’s “Love Is __” and Netflix’s “Forever,” Brock Akil brings her signature storytelling to the page with a story that explores love, identity, buried trauma and self-revelation.
“The Revelation of Dionne Daphne” centers on Dionne Daphne, a magnetic, thirty-something New Yorker in the 1990s who appears to have it all. She is the beauty editor at a prestigious magazine, moves within elite social circles and has a seemingly perfect boyfriend. That carefully curated life begins to fracture when he arrives unannounced at her Brooklyn doorstep with life-altering news, forcing Dionne to confront truths she has long avoided.
As Dionne reckons with the present, she is pulled into her past, unearthing a dark secret hidden since childhood. What follows is an emotionally charged exploration of enduring love, world-shattering revelations and personal awakening. At once provocative and deeply moving, the novel traces broken lovers, fractured families and distant friendships as they find their way back to one another, revealing how light can emerge from life’s deepest shadows.
The novel marks a significant expansion of Brock Akil’s storytelling across mediums. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, she has introduced audiences to complex characters, including Joan Clayton of “Girlfriends,” Mary Jane Paul of “Being Mary Jane” and, most recently, Keisha in the Netflix series “Forever.”
“I wrote this novel to take readers through a story that may feel familiar — one of isolation, shame, resilience and the redemptive power of love,” Brock Akil said. “My hope is that readers see themselves in Dionne, recognize the weight they’ve been carrying and feel permission to release it. Stepping into fiction has been a beautiful expansion of my storytelling, and I’m grateful to have Storehouse Voices alongside me on this journey.”
“Mara Brock Akil has shaped the emotional landscape of a generation through television,” said Tamira Chapman, publisher of Storehouse Voices. “With “The Revelation of Dionne Daphne,” she brings that same vulnerability, insight and cultural fluency to the page. This is a powerful literary debut that affirms the permanence and importance of Black women’s interior lives.”
Chelcee Johns, executive editor at Storehouse Voices, said the novel exceeded expectations years in the making. “This debut wrestles with sexual awakening, family trauma, sudden love and evolving friendship through a character with as much bite as tenderness,” Johns said. “We’re proud to publish Mara Brock Akil’s fiction debut and excited for longtime fans and new readers alike.”
Brock Akil’s work has earned widespread recognition, including the African American Film Critics Association TV Honors Legacy Award in 2025. She will receive the Producers Guild of America’s Norman Lear Achievement Award on Feb. 28, in Los Angeles. Her hit Netflix series “Forever,” adapted from the beloved Judy Blume novel, reached No. 1 on the platform last year and is set to return for a second season.