Peter Ginna, Chairman
Publisher and Editorial Director, Bloomsbury USA
Gabrielle Bamberger, Vice Chairman
Gabrielle Bamberger Public Relations
Mary Stevens, Secretary
Artist
Nick Brumm, Treasurer
Partner, QVT Financial
Julie Barer
Agent, Barer Literary
Sharen Benenson
Former Chair, The Horticultural Society of NY
Nancy Dunnan
Author, Financial Advisor
Mark Fowler
Partner, Satterlee Stephens Burke & Burke LLP
Lloyd Lynford
President and CEO, REIS
Celia McGee
Arts and Culture Reporter, Book Critic, & Director of Macauly Author Series
Calvert D. Morgan Jr.
Senior VP and Publisher, It Books (HarperCollins)
Sara Nelson
Editorial Director, Amazon.com Books
Elizabeth Nunez
Author, CUNY Distinguished Professor
Elizabeth Birkelund Oberbeck
Author
Pilar Queen
Agent, McCormick & Williams
Gregory Voynow
Vice President of Business Development, Audible, Inc.
Noreen Tomassi
Executive Director
noreen@centerforfiction.org
Kristin Henley
Managing Director
kristin@centerforfiction.org
Rachel Abelson
Development Director
Dawn Raffel
Website Editor
Sugar Vendil
Events Producer
Gwen Ruelle
Webmaster
gwen@centerforfiction.org
Burton Greenhouse
Accounting
greenhousb@aol.com
The Center for Fiction is the only nonprofit literary organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to celebrating fiction, and we work every day to connect readers and writers. Time Out calls The Center one of the top three reasons to stay in Manhattan for literary events, citing the innovative panels, lectures and conversations that take place in our beautiful building on East 47th Street. We also feature workspace, grants, and classes to support emerging writers, reading groups on classic and contemporary authors, and programs to help get kids reading. We recognize the best in the world of fiction through our annual awards, and we operate one of the few independent fiction book shops in the country. We are also an important piece of New York City history, continuing to build our renowned circulating library collection, begun in 1820 by New York City merchants before the advent of the public library system.
The Center for Fiction receives funding from government agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals, including:
Amazon.com / Audible.com / The Benenson Family / The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation / Nancy Dunnan / Farrar, Staus and Giroux / Florence Gould Foundation / Ford Foundation Good Neighbor Committee / Hachette Book Group / International Creative Management / Jerome Foundation / Henry and Lucy Moses Fund / the National Endowment for the Arts / the New York State Council on the Arts/ the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs / The New Yorker / Other Press / The Pine Tree Foundation of New York / Poets & Writers / Random House / The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation / William Morris Endeavor / Reba and Dave Williams
The Center for Fiction was founded in 1820 as the Mercantile Library by merchants and their clerks before the advent of public libraries. By the mid-nineteenth century, it was thriving as one of the foremost cultural institutions in the United States. In Fall 2009, we officially changed our name to The Center for Fiction. While we continue to build our wonderful circulating collection of nearly 85,000 titles, our new name symbolizes our commitment to providing exceptional public programs and resources for diverse audiences. Interested in our mission and history? ... READ MORE
Considered to be one of the most beautiful and welcoming spaces in New York by members and guests, our historic building was built in 1932, designed by acclaimed architect Henry Otis Chapman. Our 8-story “boutique” building features our indie bookstore on the ground floor, our beautiful second floor reading room... READ MORE
Find out about our bookshop... READ MORE
The Center for Fiction
17 E. 47th Street
(between Fifth and Madison)
New York, NY 10017
(212) 755-6710
info@centerforfiction.org
We rent our beautiful 2nd floor event space and sixth floor screening room and meeting spaces.
Where to eat and drink
Midtown Manhattan offers an unlimited variety of great restaurants and pubs in all price ranges, just steps from The Center. See our suggestions and make reservations for before or after an event.
To reach us by subway:
Take the B, D, F or M to 47th/50th Streets/Rockefeller Center.
Or take the 4, 5, 6 or 7 to Grand Central 42nd Street or the E to Fifth Ave./53rd Street
To reach us by bus:
The M1, M2, M3, and M4 all stop conveniently near the Center along with the M27 and M50