Literary Awards & Grants: Frequently Asked Questions
Since 1963, the PEN America Literary Awards have honored outstanding voices in translation, fiction, poetry, science writing, essay, sports writing, biography, children’s literature, and drama. With the help of our partners, PEN America confers over 20 distinct awards, fellowships, grants and prizes each year, awarding nearly $350,000 to writers and translators.
Grants will be open for submission from June 1 through August 1, 2024. Book Awards will be open for submission from June 15 through August 1, 2024.
If you have further questions not answered below, please contact [email protected].
Literary Awards
Q: What awards is PEN America offering this year?
A: Please click here for a full listing of our awards.
Q: Where do I submit?
A: For each of our awards, the application materials, eligibility requirements, and submission timeline vary. Please check individual award pages for detailed instructions. Submit here.
Q: What is the timeline for the PEN America Literary Awards announcements?
A: The judges will read through the fall. Longlists and Finalists will be announced in winter. Winners for the Book Awards will be announced live in the spring at the Literary Awards Ceremony before the cycle reopens.
Q: Can I submit one book to multiple awards?
A: Books can only be submitted to one award per cycle, with the exception of the PEN Open Book Award, which honors work by writers of color. Translated books are not eligible for the PEN Open Book Award.
Q: I’m a publisher/agent. Can I submit multiple titles for consideration?
A: Yes! Publishers and agents may submit as many titles as they’d like. In order to streamline the process, we recommend creating a login with Formsite, our submission platform, and using our Save and Return function.
Q: My book won’t be published until after the deadline. Can I send a galley or advance copy instead?
A: Yes, we accept galleys and advance copies.
Q: The book cover for my submission is not yet finalized, but I am required to submit a file on the form. What should I do?
A: In place of the high-resolution book cover, please upload a note saying such in its place. When the book cover is available, please email it to [email protected].
Q: I forgot to submit my title. Can I get an extension?
A: We can accommodate extensions on a case by case basis. Please reach out to [email protected].
Q: Does PEN America offer grants or awards to unpublished writers?
A: PEN America supports emerging writers and works-in-progress in a number of ways. The PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants support translators’ process of translating works that have not previously appeared in English or have appeared only in an outdated or otherwise flawed translation. Similarly, the PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Oral History recognize unpublished, ongoing oral history projects. To learn more about our grants, visit our Grants page.
Q: Does the author need to be a U.S. resident or citizen?
A: Residency and citizenship requirements vary depending on each award. You can consult the “Who is Eligible” section of each awards page for specific details about that award.
Q: My book is self-published. Am I still eligible for submission?
A: No, PEN America does not accept books that are self-published or submissions from hybrid publishers.
Q: Does “trade publisher” include academic presses?
A: Yes, “trade publisher” includes academic presses.
Q: My press is based in a country outside the U.S., but we distribute our books in the United States. Am I considered a U.S. publisher?
A: No. Only publishers with offices located within the U.S. are considered U.S. publishers. The only book award open to publishers outside the U.S. is the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award.
Q: Are current PEN America staff, interns, donors, committee co-chairs, judges, and Trustees eligible for literary awards? What about former staff, interns, donors, and Trustees?
A: No. Writers who are also current PEN America staff or interns, trustees, or chairs of Member committees are not eligible for any of the Awards and/or Grants offered by the Literary Awards Program. Additionally, all current members of the Literary Awards Committee are ineligible. We understand the literary community to be close and interconnected, and being involved with PEN America in these ways in the past does not result in disqualification. We ask that the writer have not been connected with PEN America in these ways during the calendar years of the applicable awards cycle. For example, a person involved with PEN America in one of the categories described in 2020 will not be eligible for an Award or Grant in 2020 or 2021.
Q: I’m a PEN America Member, am I eligible for your Grants or Awards?
A: Yes, PEN America Members are eligible for our Awards and Grants, but will not be given preferential consideration.
Q: Our press cannot comfortably afford to pay the submission fees but would like our titles to be considered. What should we do?
A: Publishers whose annual net sales are under $2 million are exempt from paying the submission fee.
Q: How do I get a fee waiver? What documentation is needed?
A: You may request an exemption here. . This form asks for a letter on company letterhead stating that the press’s annual net sales are less than $2 million. Do not submit your title before requesting your fee exemption, as the Literary Awards Team will provide you with an alternative submission method.
Q: Covering the Finalist’s travel to the ceremony in New York City poses a significant financial hardship for our press. Does this disqualify us from submitting to the awards?
A: No. For presses using a fee waiver, we are more than happy to waive this requirement. Please make note of it on your declaration of eligibility when submitting.
Literary Grants
Q: Where can I apply?
A: Submissions will be accepted via Submittable. Submit here.
Q: Can I submit a translation of an anthology or a poetry collection with multiple authors?
A: No, original texts with more than one author will not be accepted.
Q: Can I submit a translation of my own work?
A: While self-translations are technically eligible, they do not fall within the original intentions of the grant.
Q: My project is not under contract. Does the organization help the grant winners publish their translated books?
A: At this time, PEN America is not able to facilitate the publication of grant recipients’ translations. That being said, if an agent or publisher reaches out to us with interest, we are able to connect them with the translator.
Q: I am not a US citizen or resident. Can I still apply?
A: Yes, we encourage candidates of all nationalities to apply.
Q: Why don’t I see this grant offered on Submittable? How do I apply?
A: The PEN Grant for the English Translation of Italian Literature operates within the existing PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants. All submissions should be made using the form for PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants. Any applicant who submits to the PEN/Heim Translation Fund grants whose project is a translation of narrative prose from the Italian into English is automatically considered for the PEN Grant for the Translation of Italian Literature. Submit here.
Q: Where can I apply?
A: Submissions will be accepted via Submittable. Submit here.
Q: Can I submit my application materials via email instead?
A: Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to accept submissions by email. If you are having issues with the Submittable platform, please visit the Submittable support page. If you still encounter issues, please reach out to [email protected].
Q: What do I do if the interviews I’ve conducted are not in English?
A: The PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History are being conferred to projects in English. Please translate any interviews that you plan on using in your application in order to be considered.
Q: I am not a US citizen or resident. Can I still apply?
A: Yes, we encourage candidates of all nationalities to apply so long as the project is in English.
Q: Where can I apply?
A: Submissions will be accepted via Submittable. Submit here.
Q: Can I submit my application materials via email instead?
A: Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to accept submissions by email. If you are having issues with the Submittable platform, please visit the Submittable support page. If you still encounter issues, please reach out to [email protected].
Q: What kind of children’s fiction is eligible for this grant?
A: The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists is geared towards novels in progress. Graphic novels and picture books are not being accepted at this time. Please take a look at previous recipients here to get an idea of the types of works being accepted.
Q: I am not a US citizen or resident. Can I still apply?
A: Yes, we encourage candidates of all nationalities to apply so long as their previous works have been published by a US trade publisher.
Q: My previous books have not been published by a US trade publisher. Can I still apply?
A: Unfortunately, candidates who have not previously been published by a US trade publisher will not be considered.
Q: Where can I apply?
A: Submissions will be accepted via Submittable. Submit here.
Q: Can I submit my application materials via email instead?
A: Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to accept submissions by email. If you are having issues with the Submittable platform, please visit the Submittable support page. If you still encounter issues, please reach out to [email protected].
Q: Who is eligible for these grants?
A: This grant is available to foreign-born writers based in the U.S., and to writers living abroad who hold refugee/asylum seeker status.