Independent bookstores are the heart of their communities. They provide culture and community, generate local jobs and sales tax revenue, promote literacy and education, champion and center new and diverse authors, connect readers to books in a personal and authentic way, and actively support the right to read and access books in their communities.
Each week we profile an independent bookstore, share what makes each one special, and get their unique, expert book recommendations.
This week we have Huxley & Hiro in Wilmington, Delaware!
What is the history of your store?
Huxley & Hiro is a women- and LGBTQ-owned bookstore in historic downtown Wilmington. As a public benefit corporation, the store’s mission is to partner with local nonprofit organizations and provide a community gathering space for the arts. Our store is named after our Maine Coon cat, Huxley, and our Shiba Inu dog, Hiro, who make regular appearances to welcome customers. Shortly after opening, owners Ryan Eanes and Claire van den Broek were named the Most Influential Delawareans of 2024 in the business category.
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What makes your independent bookstore special?
In the digital age where books are easily and free to access online, and where we are constantly busy with our phones and other devices, we recognized a growing desire for places where people can meet in person and share their love for literature. Through a carefully curated selection of books and an easy-to-navigate layout, we want to offer our community a new take on the beloved experience of shopping in person on a downtown main street. Although we, as founders, are millennials, we realized that both younger and older generations see the Millennial/Gen X vision of virtual communities as much more dystopian than the idealized image we had of the possibilities of technology. Our society seems to have a deep-seated desire to return to in-person communities and 15-minute neighborhoods where we can build interpersonal connections not mediated by technology.
What is your favorite section in your store?
My (Claire’s) favorite section of the store is our ‘Curious Stories’ display. Influenced by James Daunt, who created an entire bookstore in London organized by country rather than genre (no science fiction, because you couldn’t sort by country), we wanted to bring to life a curated collection that drew on many genres, focused on the theme of ‘Curious Stories’. We put out cookbooks, travel books, history books, science books, etc., that focused on unusual stories, like the story of the egg or Sesame Street in Moscow. Our hope is that this exhibition offers people a new way to navigate that doesn’t limit them to the genre they typically gravitate toward; the kind of experience that online algorithms are not good at curating.
What book do you love to recommend to clients and why?
My favorite recommendation is Sadegh Hedayat’s “Blind Owl,” a deeply disturbing novella written by an Iranian author in the 1930s. Imagine if Edgar Allan Poe and Franz Kafka had a son born in Iran who grew up watching FW’s “Nosferatu” Murnau. Surreal and dreamlike, at times bordering on an early Middle Eastern magical realism, this largely unknown novel will haunt you.
Which book do you think deserves more attention and why?
Although it is a classic, I am always surprised that more people are not familiar with Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita.” Written in Soviet Russia and censored until after his death, Mikhail Bulgakov’s comic novel follows the adventures of Satan, his cat, and his valet as they visit Moscow. The story is strongly intertwined with Goethe’s “Faust”, one of the greatest works ever written and, in many ways, is also the love story of the Master and his Margaret (Faust and Gretchen). Brilliant, hilarious and, at times, quite moving.
Why is it important to buy from local and independent bookstores?
When you choose a local, independent bookstore, more of your money stays within the community. We want to live in vibrant communities within a 15-minute walk where we can find unique things and discover new experiences. Bookstores continue to be a fundamental part of this experience, and only by supporting local businesses can we guarantee that these types of neighborhoods remain a reality. Sure you can buy a book cheap, but do you want to live next to a huge warehouse with trucks coming and going at all hours, or do you want to grab your coffee and your dog and stroll through a cute local store with friendly employees who know you? And can it help you discover new books?
What are some of your store events, programs or partnerships coming up this quarter that you would like to share?
We regularly partner with other local businesses for experiences like coffee tastings from a local roaster, a bag-making workshop benefiting women with cancer, and historical talks like our event with a 102-year-old WWII Air Force veteran. years to celebrate that our city has been named an American World War II Heritage City.
We are also partnering with Delaware Futures to create a banned books advocacy program that will allow disadvantaged youth to spend six weeks exploring banned books, learning how to write letters to school boards, and better understanding why groups want to ban books and how to do it. . fight censorship. At the end of the program, you will earn a certificate that we hope will give you an advantage in your college applications.
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