Opened in February 2019 in Downtown Brooklyn, The Center for Fiction is the only nonprofit literary organization in the U.S. devoted to celebrating works of fiction. A library ladder is need to reach all the fiction and non-fiction titles housed in The Center's bookstore with its soaring ceilings. The ceiling height bookshelves are filled with hundreds of books beckoning exploration. The Center hosts events, reading groups, story time, and workshops. "A Novel Approach" is a customized year's worth of books. Membership benefits include discounts in the bookshop, café, and at events and workshops, plus access to the second floor and library. An imposing mural dominates the café that serves a menu offering coffee drinks, tea, wine, and cocktails.

The Center was founded in 1821 as the Mercantile Library of New York in lower Manhattan with a mission to educate young men for success in the mercantile trade.