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The Center and Social Justice

The Center for Fiction stands in fierce solidarity with all who seek systemic change in the pursuit of justice and equality. We continue our fervent commitment to diversity, reflected in our staffing, governance, programming, fellowships, public school programs, and partnerships throughout the New York City community and beyond.

We also remain committed to informing and participating in the national dialogue on social issues, pledging passionately to redouble our efforts to make change happen with ever more inclusive programming and community engagement. Through our work with stories and storytellers, we aim to illuminate and correct the persistent wrongs that are imperative for our country to address.

We invite you to browse the selection of our programming below, as well as in our video library. To view and register for upcoming events, please visit our events page.

Questions about our work?

KidsRead & KidsWrite

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.

Youth Justice Network Book Drive

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.

Chris Jackson Addresses Systemic Racism in the Publishing Industry

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

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.