Meet Jamilah Horton | Founder Of House Of Pages Bookstore

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamilah Horton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamilah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve always been a voracious reader – I actually consider myself to be somewhat of a bibliophile. I started reading when I was three years old and I started collecting books in elementary school. My parents would take me to library sales and thrift stores where I would use my allowance to purchase books. I had so many that my mom decided to create an actual library in our storage house! I have continued to collect books and I always knew that I would transition to opening my own bookstore.

What should our readers know about your business?
House Of Pages Bookstore is a worker run, community supported general interest store “Where Stories Reside…” We offer new and used books, book related merchandise, stationary, gifts, and media items online and at our retail space in Peachtree Corners, GA.

My shop is unique because the mission is to “Build A World Of Avid Readers” through an intercommunal community cooperative model more so than most conventional big branded booksellers. It is not about our bottom line but increasing the literacy rate of our community, introducing a more diverse curation of books that tell everyone’s stories, and doing away with “sections” that exclude diverse works.

It definitely wasn’t an easy journey to opening! It took three years for me to find a great location and sometimes capital was hard to come by because people generally don’t see the value in brick and mortar bookstores anymore. There are many investors who think books just aren’t “profitable” despite the fact that independent bookstores are seen as destination points for our communities and we are thriving. I knew that if I found a landlord or supportive business partner that recognized the value of having one in the neighborhood I would overcome the bigger hurdle. I happened to find that person and I was ready with the business plan and the capital to move forward when we met.

The biggest takeaway of my journey is to never give up! Even when it gets bleak keep waking up believing that one day you will make your dream come true. Also be good to people and network as much as possible! Your tribe will find you!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely start out with a picnic at Piedmont Park. We could ride the scooters and just chill and enjoy looking at the Atlanta skyline. We would have to hit Stone Mountain for a hike or Silver Comet Trail to ride bikes during the week. Also we’d have to go to The Flying Biscuit, Mary Mac’s, Spondivits, Mad Italian, or Hattie Marie’s to get some great food.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out my family, particularly my parents, for encouraging my passion for reading. All of my family would bring me books, magazines, etc. They allowed me to stay up reading all night and never tried to keep me from accessing reading materials.

Website: https://houseofpagesbooks.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/houseofpagesbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/houseofpagesbks

Facebook: http://facebook.com/houseofpagesbooks

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ3QK41s8SCEsRKXyxUgF_g

Other: We are located at: 6035 Peachtree Pkwy Ste A Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 Tel: (470) 246 – 7087 Email: houseofpagesatl@gmail.com To become a member: https://linktr.ee/houseofpagesbooks

Image Credits
House Of Pages Bookstore