About Harlem Book Company
At Harlem Book Company we believe that books hold power. Power to ignite imaginations and inspire change. Power to lift people up and power to tear down walls that divide. Across genres, books have the power to preserve history and shape the future.
Our belief in the power of books is mirrored in the neighborhood we call home. Harlem is steeped in stories—tales of heroism and tragedy; love and loss. Harlem’s roots run deep with a legacy of people pushing the world forward through creativity while searching for place to belong. We take that legacy seriously.
From the Lenape who first loved this land to the Dutch colonizers who gave Harlem its name, to the Black and Hispanic activists and artists who painted the streets with culture and fought for the soul of Upper Manhattan—people of all colors and creeds have shaped the history of Harlem.
Founded by a family of book lovers, Harlem Book Company recognizes the legacy of our namesake neighborhood and we strive to honor it.
Meet the Team
Meet Charles
Favorite Classic: A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Favorite Current/Contemporary: 11/22/64 by Stephen King
Reading Core Memory: I’ve always been a reader (I used to stay up late reading Animorphs, and Goosebumps and Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice and more), so I’m certain there were moments before this that impacted me. But the moment that stands out most was in 10th or 11th grade, I was in ISS (in-school suspension for the uninitiated) and had nothing to do but to read the assigned novel for my AP English class (yes, I was a smart kid who got in trouble). I read the entirety of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men in one sitting and all but bawled during George and Lenny’s final conversation. I’d always loved stories, but I think that was a moment when I realized how powerful books could be.
Bonus Facts: I’m a professional comic book editor and creative writer and love to talk about the intricacies of story and feel very lucky to get to tell stories for a living. When I’m not working or reading or spending time with my wife and daughters, I’m writing songs.
Meet Hadley
Favorite Classic: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Favorite Current/contemporary: When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
Reading Core Memory: When I was in 1st grade, my teacher picked out and gifted each of us a book that reminded her of us as individuals. For me she picked Stephanie’s Pony Tail. It was so special to me to feel like I was being seen in a book.
A close second is my mom giving me a book whose title seemed at the time, very suggestive (It was, haha). Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, is a very British, very coming-of-age novel by Louise Rennison and I devoured the whole series. I thought that was just so cool of her.
Bonus Facts: I grew up in Utah golfing and skiing but now I call Harlem home. I have two daughters and we love to bike around Central Park, visit art museums, and read at libraries.
I write and illustrate my own children’s books!
