Leon Levy Center for Biography
Biography is the most arduous and exacting of scholarship — and essential for understanding the human condition. Biographies also happen to be the most accessible form of history for the common citizen. So it is quite extraordinary that the Leon Levy Center for Biography is the only institution in the country dedicated to promoting the work of biographers.
The creation of the Leon Levy Center for Biography at the CUNY Graduate Center originates from Leon Levy’s love of history and his conviction that biography belonged in the academy. Established with with a gift from the Foundation in 2007 as a hub for writers, scholars, students, teachers, and readers of biography, the Center builds connections between independent and university-affiliated biographers across disciplines and cultivates important discussions about the art and craft of biography historically and in our time.
The Center offers annual resident fellowships for biographers as well as dissertation fellowships. Awards include writing space at the Graduate Center, full access to research facilities, research assistance and a stipend. Fellows devote time to their projects and participate in monthly seminars and the Center’s robust series of public events including an annual lecture and conference. Since its founding the Center has supported nearly 100 fellows who have published upwards of 40 biographies.
The Leon Levy Center for Biography was instrumental in the creation of the Graduate Center’s M.A. Program in Biography and Memoir, one of the only such programs in the world.