Charles F. Harris

Charles F. Harris (January 3, 1934 – December 16, 2015) was an American book publisher and editor. Through his pioneering work at Howard University Press and at Amistad Press, which he founded in 1986, Harris was instrumental in the publication of many books by notable African-American writers.

Biography

The youngest of the seven children of Annie Eula (née Lawson) and Ambrose Harris, Charles Frederick Harris was born on January 3, 1934, in Portsmouth, Virginia. While in elementary school, he earned pocket money by delivering newspapers to the community, at the same time following his father's stipulation that he read everything he delivered.

Harris began a career in publishing at Doubleday in the mid-1950s, a time when (as The New York Times observed) "the prevailing notion in the book business was that, with few exceptions, writing by black authors or aimed at black readers belonged to a niche market that was at worst inconsequential and at best narrow and unprofitable." and served as the first chief executive, publishing some 100 titles. Amistad was acquired by HarperCollins in 1999, and Harris remained editorial director of the imprint until 2003.

Harris died in Manhattan, New York, from colon cancer on December 16, 2015, aged 81.