New York Mercantile Library

40°45′22.93″N 73°58′38.23″W / 40.7563694°N 73.9772861°W / 40.7563694; -73.9772861

The Mercantile Library in the Astor Opera House building, 1886

The Center for Fiction, originally called the New York Mercantile Library, is a not-for-profit organization in New York City, with offices at 15 Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Prior to their move in early 2018, The Center for Fiction was located at 17 East 47th Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan. The center works to promote fiction and literature and to give support to writers. It originated in 1820 as the (New York) Mercantile Library and in 2005 changed its name to the Mercantile Library Center for Fiction,[1] although it presents itself as simply "The Center for Fiction".

The center, which is one of 17 remaining membership libraries in the United States, three of which are in New York City,[2] maintains a large circulating library of 20th and 21st century fiction, in addition to many stored volumes of 19th century fiction. It also stocks non-fiction volumes on subjects related to literature.[3] It maintains a Reading Room, operates a curated independent bookstore primarily featuring works of fiction, rents space to writers at low cost, and presents literary programs to the public.[4] The organization also awards the annual Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.

  1. ^ Tomassi, Noreen. "A History of the Center for Fiction". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
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