The Center and Social Justice

The Center for Fiction annually serves 2,500 students from under-resourced New York City Public Schools in grades 3 through 12 with author-led reading and writing events, creating interest and excitement for children and young people of all backgrounds who want to tell their own stories and have their voices heard. They hunger to read stories that evoke our shared humanity by authors representing immigrants, people of color, ethnic minorities, and those with different sexual orientations and gender identities. Fiction and narrative nonfiction create empathy and reveal what is timeless and true, but to do so there must be programs like KidsRead and KidsWrite to spotlight authors and artists.

Powered by community-based donations and partnerships with local bookstores, Books to Jails brings books to young people in custody. Youth Justice Network members specifically request titles, or we tailor our selections to their interests and concerns, bringing access to the joy, comfort, knowledge, and escapism of books to those behind bars.

Watch and read along with Chris Jackson’s powerful remarks as he accepts The Center for Fiction Medal for Editorial Excellence from presenter Ta-Nehisi Coates at our 2020 Annual Awards Benefit, which took place virtually on December 3rd, 2020. The publisher and editor-in-chief of One World, an imprint of Random House, Jackson is the editor of a wide range of award-winning and bestselling authors, including Bryan Stevenson, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jill Leovy, Trevor Noah, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Ibram X. Kendi, Valarie Kaur, and Eddie Huang.

Inside and Out was The Center for Fiction’s Pride Month 2020 series designed to offer solace and affirmation to the LGBTQ community during a time of isolation from trusted social groups and support networks. Featuring a phenomenal line-up of authors whose books center the unique experiences of queer characters, conversations explored how sexuality and gender identity intersect with race, class, religion, and nationality.