Leon Levy Center for Biography
Established with a generous gift from the Leon Levy Foundation in 2007 as a hub for writers, scholars, students, teachers, and readers of biography, the Leon Levy Center for Biography at The Graduate 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 sponsors a variety of events and public programs, and offers four fellowships annually to fund the research and writing of outstanding biographies and two fellowships to CUNY dissertation students writing biography.
Visit The Leon Levy Center for BiographY Website
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Upcoming Events
Latest News
Apr 11, 2024
Leon Levy Center for Biography Announces Five New Fellows
The prestigious year-long fellowship will support writers as they work on biographies of history-makers, from Nella Larson to Bill Gates.
- GC Stories
Mar 21, 2024
Kai Bird Wins BIO Award from the Biographers International Organization
The award recognizes him for making the Graduate Center’s Leon Levy Center for Biography “the most important institute for biography in America.”
- GC Stories
- Faculty News
Mar 11, 2024
Christopher Nolan Thanks Kai Bird for Oscar-Sweeping ‘Oppenheimer’
The director acknowledged the Graduate Center co-author of the book that inspired the blockbuster film.
- GC Stories
- Faculty News
Dec 11, 2023
The Most-Read Graduate Center Stories of 2023
From Oppenheimer to ChatGPT, here are the stories that you read the most this year.
- GC Stories
- Alumni News
- Student News
- Faculty News
LLCB Updates
All FYIsNY Times features Guest Essay by Kai Bird
Read "The Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer" by Kai Bird, director of the Leon Levy Center for Biography, on the NY Times website.
- Media Coverage
M.A. Program in Biography and Memoir
In Fall 2019, The Graduate Center opened a new M.A. Program in Biography and Memoir. Students in the program benefit from the intellectual life of the Leon Levy Center for Biography. Merit scholarships are available.
Learn about the M.A. program