Jessica Harlow-Lane is a historical fiction writer whose work is for readers who enjoy character-driven stories with emotional depth. She is committed to preserving the rich, often-overlooked stories of Black Southern families by centering authentic lived experiences over long-held assumptions about the Black experience.
In May 2026, Jessica was selected to attend the Rosemary House Writers Residency in Nikiti, Greece, where she was mentored by Deesha Philyaw while working on her debut novel, The Lady of Kimbrough Court. Inspired by the life of her late grandmother and the stories she shared, the novel is a coming-of-age work of upmarket historical fiction that follows a young Black girl born in Alabama's Black Belt in 1926. Pressured from an early age to become a lady, she embarks on a journey to discover what being a lady truly means and realizes she gets to decide for herself.
Jessica was born and raised in Alabama and resides there with her husband and two Goldendoodles.
