Mercantile Library Association Of The City Of New York

TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO READ AND VALUE FICTION AND TO SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE ITS CREATION.

FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS, THE CENTER FOR FICTION HAS BEEN AN ANCHOR OF THE NEW YORK CITY LITERARY SCENE, HIGHLIGHTING THE POWER OF STORYTELLING AND CONNECTING READERS WITH WRITERS WHO CHANGE OUR WORLD. IN 2019, THE CENTER MOVED FROM MANHATTAN TO OUR NEW 18,000-SQ FOOT HOME IN THE DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN CULTURAL CENTER, TO BETTER CONNECT WITH OUR AUDIENCES AND PROVIDE A WELCOMING PUBLIC SPACE. KEY PROGRAMS INCLUDE:PUBLIC EVENTS: IN 2022, WE PRESENTED 89 EVENTS TO AN AUDIENCE OF OVER 8,000 PEOPLE. WE PRESENT A MIX OF WRITERS, FROM DEBUT AUTHORS TO OUR GREATEST LITERARY ICONS. OUR SPEAKERS TACKLE CONTEMPORARY DEBATES ABOUT LITERATURE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND THE FIGHT AGAINST INEQUALITY, AMONG OTHER PRESSING ISSUES OF TODAY.KIDS READ/KIDS WRITE: EACH YEAR, WE GIVE OVER 2,000 STUDENTS FROM NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE POWER OF FICTION. KIDSREAD PRESENTS AUTHOR-LED EVENTS FOR SCHOOLS, PROVIDES BOOKS AND WORKS WITH TEACHERS TO INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE CURRICULUM. KIDSWRITE PROVIDES WORKSHOPS FOR TEENS TO DEVELOP THEIR VOICE AS WRITERS.PROGRAMS FOR WRITERS: OUR EMERGING WRITER FELLOWSHIP OFFERS GRANTS, EDITORIAL MENTORSHIP, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO EARLY-CAREER NEW YORK CITY-BASED WRITERS. THE WRITERS STUDIO PROGRAM OFFERS WRITERS WORK SPACE, COMMUNITY WITH THEIR PEERS AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR CRAFT. WRITERS WORKSHOPS, SERVE EXPERIENCED AND NOVICE WRITERS EACH YEAR, OFFERING SKILL BUILDING AND WORKSHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2022, WRITING PROGRAMS SERVED ABOUT 900 PEOPLE. PROGRAMS FOR READERS: READING GROUPS, SERVING OVER 500 PEOPLE PER YEAR, ARE LED BY WRITERS AND SCHOLARS ON A LITERARY GENRE, A THEME, AN AUTHOR OR A SINGLE WORK; THEY OFFER LITERARY ANALYSIS, LIVELY CONVERSATION AND COMMUNITY. OUR LIBRARY MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM OFFERS READERS AND WRITERS A WAY TO SUPPORT THE CENTER WHILE ENJOYING DISCOUNTS IN OUR RETAIL SPACES, BORROWING PRIVILEGES FOR OUR LIBRARY OF 64,000 BOOKS AND USE OF THE LIBRARY SPACE.RETAIL PROGRAMS: THE BOOKSTORE AND CAF ON OUR GROUND FLOOR ARE ANCHORS FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND INVITE OUR COMMUNITY INTO THE SPACE. WE ARE OFTEN RECOGNIZED AS AMONG THE TOP INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES IN NYC AND THE US.LITERARY PRIZES: WE HONOR STORYTELLERS THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREER WITH SEVERAL PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS EACH YEAR, INCLUDING THE FIRST NOVEL PRIZE THE MEDAL FOR EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE AND THE ON SCREEN AWARD (FOR A BOOK ADAPTATION). COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: WE OFFER COMMUNITY EVENTS CENTERED ON THE THEME OF FICTION, AND PARTNER WITH OTHER CULTURAL AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO SHOWCASE PROGRAMMING THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR MISSION.